


The Way

by Talsi74656



Series: Talsi's Twelve Days of Ficmas [12]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Angst, F/M, Seriously who lets Chakotay in shuttles, alternate version of an episode, just stop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-08 09:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5492600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talsi74656/pseuds/Talsi74656
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kathryn takes a chance on something that has the potential to return Voyager home, but things go disastrously wrong putting her life and Chakotay's in peril.</p><p>On the twelfth day of ficmas Talsi gave to me, twelve shattered hallways.</p><p>The Twelfth fic in Talsi's twelve days of ficmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is once again promptless.
> 
> It may be easiest if you subscribe to this one? I don't want to update VAMB, tumblr and facebook every time I post a chapter - so if you want to read it as it's released that's the way to go. Otherwise I'll update all of the above once it is complete!
> 
> Disclaimer: this is the kind of thing I would do with these characters, if they were my characters, which they're not... :(

Kathryn felt trapped. Not in the physical sense, well, she was trapped physically, but that, at this moment in her life, felt irrelevant. At _this_ particular moment Kathryn felt emotionally trapped.  
  
Her day had progressed thusly: after around four hours of arguing with the senior-staff about whether her plan was a good idea or not, she’d then spent a further three hours discussing the issue with Chakotay. He’d objected, rather vehemently, of course. He spent about _another_ three hours trying to talk her out of it, only to sneak on board the Delta Flyer when she’d decided to go ahead with it.  
  
Granted she’d conceded to his arguments during their ‘discussion’ - eventually, but he _didn’t have to follow;_ that was on him. Now, however, she faced yet _more_ hours being trapped under a tonne of ice, buried in the flyer with her stowaway.  
  
As company went, possibly the last company she’d ever have, she certainly could have done worse; with the exception of the fact that he was currently fuming, pacing between the science and tactical stations and grumbling about how he’d known this was a bad idea. At least he’d given up yelling for now, that was refreshing.  
  
Sure, he’d been right. The readings had turned into nothing more than background radiation, it appeared. The storm above hadn’t abated in the two days Voyager had been in sensor range and didn’t look like it would any time soon; which meant rescue would be difficult at best. And they were buried so deep Voyager probably couldn’t even locate them. She was willing to accept that this was a mistake, though possibly not aloud – not right now, anyway.  
  
The thought that they were probably going to die here felt like just another kick in the teeth on what had been an incredibly disappointing few months. Her own death didn’t upset her overmuch. Of course she didn’t want to die, but Chakotay’s death was the worst possibility imaginable.  
  
This had been the entire reason she’d tried to come alone. _Part_ of her concern was, of course, that if he hadn’t snuck aboard, Voyager might not be on the verge of losing her entire command team. She was angry at him for that as much as she was angry at herself for once _again_ listening to her heart, instead of her head.  
  
Possibly the worst thing about this entire situation was the fact that he didn’t seem to understand her interest in her pursuit of what might have been down here. He knew about her anxieties over Voyager being trapped in the Delta Quadrant. He knew how desperate she was to make amends for stranding them out here. He also knew what it would have meant if she’d been right. What he didn’t know, however, the devastating truth lingering in the back of her thoughts for so long was that if they made it home, she could finally open up. She could finally reciprocate, in words, what he’d tried to tell her so long ago: that she loved him.  
  
She didn’t know whether her affections mattered anymore. He certainly seemed to be distancing himself from her these past few months. But she needed to tell him. _This_ had become her burden over the past few years. A burden she couldn’t share with anyone, one that been eating at her every day.  
  
Whether or not he still felt the same way she wanted to say the words. After his heartfelt story, years ago, he deserved at least that much.  
  
At present, of course, she had to think about Voyager and what knowledge of her affections could do to their command relationship. Well, at present they were buried, their chances of survival slim, at best, but she forced herself to focus on the positive. Home seemed a rather distant and unachievable goal right now and the irrelevance of her desire weighed heavy. What if she never got the chance?  
  
Out of the corner of her eye she watched him stop at the science station, and lean forward to grip the console. She wasn’t certain she’d seen him this angry. If they somehow managed to make it out of this alive they were going to have one _hell_ of a fight.  
  
Kathryn rolled her eyes at the thought. She was so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep for a week. Her eyes surveyed their surroundings, the ice pressing against the shuttle’s hull. _Or an eternity_ , she corrected herself with a sniff.  
  
The noise brought Chakotay back to the present and he rounded on her.  
  
Or perhaps they were going to have that argument now.  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
She sighed and almost laughed from the ridiculousness of the fact that he’d thought her amused. Instead she leaned forward, resting her head in her hands in an attempt to hide her irritation.  
  
He moved over to her, glare intensifying.  
  
“I wasn’t laughing,” she told him feeling rather exasperated. Her manner was rather flippant, in the hopes that he may just return to his pacing. No such luck, however.  
  
He sniffed and shook his head. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed on impact!” he growled.  
  
She knew.  
  
“And you’ll be lucky if we make it out of here alive,” he continued his tirade.  
  
She knew that too.  
  
Kathryn closed her eyes not really wishing to focus on the very likely event of their death, or the fact that she was entirely responsible. All of this might have been worth it if she’d been right. Even her death would have been a small price to pay for the reward. Not Chakotay's, though.  
  
_Why did you have to follow me?_  
  
“I mean, what were the chances, Kathryn? Honestly?” he snapped again.  
  
She opened her eyes again, meeting his glare with one of her own and sat up, ready to defend herself when the shuttle lurched. Chakotay stumbled to the side, clutching the other chair to prevent himself from falling to the floor.  
  
Their argument, forgotten in a breath, they exchanged a fearful glance. Kathryn was still holding out hope for a rescue, but if something happened to the shuttle before Voyager found them…  
  
All anger dissipated in the wake of a possible new danger, replaced instantly by a strong desire to survive or in Kathryn’s case to keep Chakotay alive. She couldn’t let him die.  
  
If they’d lost force fields or hull pressure the ice above them could be crushing the shuttle. That thought turned her stomach.  
  
Kathryn whirled in her chair and accessed the Flyer’s sensors. Though they were spotty, the sensors detected a cavern underneath the shuttle. The heat from their descent was melting the ice beneath them.  
  
Chakotay peeked at the readings over her shoulder and drew an uneasy breath. “How deep is the cavern?” he asked softly, his change in tone as refreshing as it was worrying.  
  
Kathryn accessed the readings and they both stared at the result; three hundred and eighteen meters.  
  
Chakotay took the seat next to her and began working.  
  
“What are you doing?” she questioned.  
  
They’d made an attempt, after the crash, to bring the engines online to no avail.  
  
“I’m trying to get the thrusters online,” he responded. “Maybe I can guide our descent and we can land at the bottom of the cavern.”  
  
The Flyer’s deflector control and inertial dampeners were offline. Any crash now would demolish the shuttle and certainly kill them in the process. Thrusters were their only option.  
  
Kathryn was a far better engineer than Chakotay. She wasn’t up to B’Elanna’s standard, of course, but she knew her way around Starfleet technology. She stood and darted for the aft.  
  
“Where are you going?” Chakotay called after her.  
  
“I’m going to see if I can help.”  
  
He must have understood, declining to speak further until she made it out the back. “It looks like we’ve burnt out a relay.”  
  
Kathryn accessed the hatch to the engine mount and pulled the compartment free. Her heart almost stopped at the sight. Chakotay was right; they had blown out a relay, _four_ relays in fact. She grimaced and dashed to the cabinet holding the shuttles spare supplies.  
  
“How long have we got?” she questioned over her shoulder. She pulled the parts from their case assessing them for damage.  
  
“Ten minutes,” he answered. “Maybe twelve.”  
  
Kathryn swore under her breath. She could change a relay in about six minutes. Even with Chakotay’s help they wouldn’t have enough time to replace them all.  
  
The shuttle shuddered again, the ice above groaning eerily, shifting its position. A large chunk of snow fell onto the fractured hull above her. She ducked, but it splashed harmlessly on the containment field.  
  
She stared at the slush, half in shock. If the force fields hadn’t been working the ice would have crushed them. She already knew that. Rolling her eyes at her foolish reaction, she returned her focus to the relays.  
  
There was another way to fire the thrusters; she could bypass the system and activate them manually. They wouldn’t have the power to sustain a burst, but they’d have enough power to slow their descent. Even that wouldn’t be enough, though.  
  
Her eyes flicked again to the force field, _but maybe…_  
  
“Chakotay,” she called.  
  
“What’s wrong?”  
  
“I’m not going to have to time to change the relays,” she told him quickly. “But I have another idea, come back here.”  
  
A moment later he appeared, a worried frown lighting his features. Once he passed the threshold to the aft section Kathryn activated a force field behind him.  
  
He glanced back at the barrier. “That’s not going to prevent enough of the damage.”  
  
“I’m going to reroute the thrusters to manual control,” she explained.  
  
His frown didn’t disappear and she knew why; even with force fields and a short burst of the thrusters they were still going to hit to ground with great force. They’d still be lucky to survive.  
  
“Are you sure this is going to work?”  
  
She halted her work and met his gaze with a level expression. She made no effort to hide her doubt – it was easier than speaking the words. “We don’t have time for anything else.”  
  
He studied her briefly before giving an accepting nod. “Can I do anything?”  
  
Kathryn licked her lips as she contemplated the question. “Secure yourself,” she decided finally. She motioned to the harnesses affixed to the walls by the rear hatch.  
  
As a refreshing twist on her day he didn’t argue. He proceeded to the wall and began to strap himself in as Kathryn used a PADD to interface with the shuttle and thruster control. She would have no time for tests; not that the Flyer had enough power for one, anyway.  
  
Mid process the shuttle shuddered again. Kathryn shared a look with Chakotay who held more panic in his expression than she’d ever witnessed before.  
  
“ _Kathryn_ ,” he urged. He didn’t need to say anything, though. She raced to the wall with more speed than she realised she could muster and began to strap herself in too.  
  
The problem was she hadn’t finished the process to interface with the shuttle, yet.  
  
She laced the first strap and glanced at Chakotay again. He wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what she was thinking. If she strapped herself in the rest of the way she mightn’t have time to finish the interface.  
  
“Kathryn,” he said again in a warning tone.  
  
She ignored him, determined to finish. If she couldn’t complete the interface there was a strong chance neither of them would make it.  
  
“ _Dammit Kathryn!_ ” he snapped again. For a heart-stopping moment she thought he was about to undo his own harness, but the shuttle shuddered again. He paused, eyes surveying the room.  
  
Kathryn however worked furiously. Finally she made the connection – with barely a second to spare.  
  
The Flyer went into a free fall. The blood rushed to Kathryn’s head giving her the exhilarating, yet terrifying sensation of weightlessness. Her stomach seemed to make a drastic relocation to her throat and she felt as though all of the air was being pressed out of her lungs.  
  
As the ground drew nearer she calculated in her mind when she’d need to fire the thrusters. According the power levels she’d be able to perform about a three second burst, pulling the nose up and slowing their descent.  
  
_Please work_ , she begged the universe.  
  
Someone out there - seemed to have taken the day off. Though the thrusters _did_ fire, they burned barely long enough to level the shuttle out, hardly slowing their fall at all.  
  
Kathryn glanced up, meeting Chakotay’s eyes, seeing all the fear and anxiety she felt, mirrored in their depths.  
  
In that fraction of a second before impact Kathryn experienced the true weight of her failures. She’d gotten her crew stranded. She’d lost people and she’d failed in her promise to get her crew home. Worst of all, she’d killed the man she loved.

***=/\=***

The Flyer ploughed into the hard-packed earth below. The fore section crumpled under the weight of the collision, rending the hull with a bone chilling _crunch_. Shards of hull plating tore from the frame, exploding in every direction.  
  
The force field protecting the aft section collapsed as the generators were severed from the CPU. The nose had taken the brunt of the impact, dispersing the force of the collision and keeping the aft section _mostly_ intact.  
  
The remnants of the craft came to a halt some four hundred meters past the point of impact. The only sound: the crackling of fires and the groan of the ice overhead.


	2. Chapter 2

Kathryn drew a deep breath, regretting her inhalation immediately as her lungs filled with the acrid smoke of the nearby fires. Her lungs burned. Her entire body ached and she realised quickly that she was no longer harnessed to the wall.  
  
By some _incredible_ miracle she’d survived the crash, though not unscathed. She gave a mental check of her body, feeling every scrape and scratch and bruise or worse. Not unscathed, but not badly injured, it seemed.  
  
With delicate care she opened her eyes. The only light in the area came from green and orange fires burning all around. Without depth perception, and due to the shadows the fires were casting, she could see little beyond the massive crack in the hull above her and holes in the plating nearby.  
  
The Flyer was ruined, probably beyond repair this time. Tom and B’Elanna would kill her – if she didn’t get herself killed first.  
  
She shook her head attempting to clear the cobwebs and stop that awful ringing in her ears. It didn’t quite subside, but the sound became duller, her focus a little clearer. She gave herself a moment to allow the shellshock to wear off before deciding to move.  
  
Ignoring the pain she pushed herself to a seated position and examined her surroundings. The front wall of the aft section was gone, leaving a gaping wound through which Kathryn could see debris from the cockpit. Her eyes flicked to the wall Chakotay should have been strapped to, above her and to her right. He was gone; the straps, now mere ribbons of fabric hanging useless from their perch.  
  
Kathryn’s heart stopped. Her physical pain seemed secondary to the possibility that Chakotay hadn’t survived. Pouncing to her feet, she darted to the spot he should have landed. Pieces of hull lay strewn about the now much smaller room.  
  
Wasting no time she began to dig through the debris, letting out a growl as she threw heavy chunks of metal aside. Her desperation allowed her to push through the aches in her arms and chest, to ignore each time she tore her hand open on the jagged sections of hull.  
  
“Chakotay!” she called out.  
  
If she’d survived and Chakotay hadn’t…  
  
Her breathing became laboured as she tossed yet another large sheet to the side; from fear or physical exhaustion, she wasn’t entirely too sure.  
  
“Chakotay, _please!_ ” she cried vainly again. Her voice sounded weak and scratchy to her own ears.  
  
Her heart leapt when she found his shoe, buried under the rubble. She cleared as much away as she could; finding him in one piece to her great relief.  
  
“Chakotay!” she exclaimed. She knelt beside him and placed a hand on his cheek. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked at the low light seeming unsure of his surroundings, until he saw her.  
  
“My god! Chakotay, are you alright?” she asked. The question was ridiculous, of course he wasn’t alright. He’d just been in a horrific shuttle crash and almost lost his life! Kathryn let out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob.  
  
He made an attempt to push himself up, his hand moving to his head. “I’m alright,” he croaked.  
  
“Hold on, I’ll get the med-kit,” Kathryn told him. She pushed herself to her feet and glanced around, trying to figure out where the cabinet with their supplies might have ended up. She spotted the case among another smaller pile of debris, along with the backpack holding their rations, beacon torches, spare tricorders and phasers.  
  
They couldn’t remain here, fumes from the fires and burning plasma had already begun to irritate Kathryn’s lungs. So with a good deal of care she worked her way to the med-kit and backpack and grabbed them both.  
  
Chakotay was sitting up when she returned to his side, squinting in pain and nursing his head. Even in the low light she could see a rather nasty bruise forming under his left eye.  
  
Kathryn knelt beside him again and scanned him with the medical tricorder. Miraculously he’d made it through the crash relatively uninjured as well. He had a bruised rib and other minor abrasions.  
  
She loaded a hypospray with something for the pain and pressed it to his neck. With a grateful smile he rubbed the spot and squeezed his eyes shut as though waiting for the pain to pass.  
  
“What about you?” he asked with a nod.  
  
Kathryn turned the tricorder on herself discovering much the same, scratches and bruises as she’d thought, and a sprained wrist. Nothing she couldn’t put up with.  
  
She gave a slight shrug and smile. “I’m fine,” _better for knowing that you’re ok._  
  
He made a move to speak, perhaps to object, but a cacophonous groan sounded above them, echoing throughout the cavern.  
  
They both stared at the ceiling, fearful of the implications that sound had. When it stopped their eyes met once again.  
  
“We should get out of here,” they suggested together.  
  
At any other time Kathryn might have been amused by their synchronicity, now though, she didn’t have the time. She helped Chakotay to his feet and handed him a beacon torch, phaser and tricorder from the backpack.  
  
He holstered his weapon, wrapped the torch around his wrist and began to scan the area. Kathryn packed the med-kit into the backpack and followed suit with torch, phaser and tricorder.  
  
“Looks like there’s something about a kilometre to the southwest,” Chakotay told her, tilting his tricorder so she could see the readout.  
  
It appeared to be some kind of subterranean mountain made from complex minerals the tricorder couldn’t identify. At least that’s what they assumed until they stepped outside the ruined Flyer.  
  
The ground was perfectly flat, covered in a smooth, polished black stone with flecks of pearlescent white, or gold throughout. Their beacon lights reflected off the specs making the floor appear field of stars.  
  
“Incredible,” Chakotay commented.  
  
If the floor of this cavern had been constructed by someone, at some point, then it was a good bet that the ‘mountain’ they were headed to was also not a natural occurrence.  
  
Kathryn drew her own tricorder again and scanned the area. “The tricorder can’t identify what it’s made from,” she commented. She knew he’d have the same readings as she did, but it was certainly noteworthy.  
  
“It’s spectacular, but a little disorienting,” Chakotay added with an amazed sniff. His statement was accurate; Kathryn wasn’t certain how much of this she’d be able to stomach.  
  
As though to remind them of their predicament, the ice above them began to groan again.  
  
“Let’s hurry, hmm?” Kathryn suggested.  
  
Chakotay answered with a nod and they headed off, carefully avoiding the debris from the Flyer as they walked.  
  
They hadn’t moved far from the wreckage when Kathryn’s tricorder picked up further structures in their vicinity. None were visible from the low-light they had available, but this certainly seemed to have been more than just a cavern at one stage.  
  
“A city?” Chakotay posed as though reading her thoughts.  
  
Kathryn smiled at the observation. It certainly made sense.  
  
If not for their current situation Kathryn would love to explore the area, these structures and learn more about the people who must have lived here some time ago. She could see the same yearning in Chakotay’s eyes, the way they wandered the darkness as though for a glimpse of something more than the stomach-churning tiles beneath their feet.  
  
She’d also love to find out more about the planet itself. Perhaps if Voyager managed to find a way to cut through the interference she’d spend some time here, exploring this – whatever it was. Provided she could convince the senior-staff that it was a good idea. Also provided the entire roof didn’t cave in on them.  
  
Despite the danger looming overhead they kept a steady pace. Both were injured after all, that and the star scape made placing their feet rather more difficult than it needed to be. Their speed, however, picked up to a trot as another groan sounded above them.  
  
Kathryn couldn’t help but turn her beacon to the ceiling. It was too high up to see anything, with the exception of a fast declining sliver of light from the crack the Flyer had made. _How strong was the rest of that ice ceiling_ , she wondered. _How badly had they damaged it?_  
  
“I think we’ll be fine,” Chakotay spoke beside her, seemingly reading her thoughts once again; though her train of thought was hardly difficult to guess. He turned his torch to the west, highlighting a massive column of gold and red stone, similar to marble, reaching high above them.  
  
“The ice ceiling was created intentionally,” she gasped.  
  
“I’d say so.”  
  
She stared in amazement, a hundred questions running through her mind. Who built this place? Were they trying to hide? If so, from what?  
  
They continued on in silence, both searching the area, trying to see what else they could discover. There wasn’t much else to see, sadly, until their objective came into view. The structure, made from the same gold and red stone as the pillar had been, was monstrously tall. There were wings to the sides, smaller towers with cone shaped rooves in a deep purple substance. The colour combination, while garish, was spectacularly vibrant, despite the low light.  
  
As they drew closer to the building Kathryn spotted carvings in the stone beside a massive, broad and open entryway. They paused before the entrance, examining the markings. It appeared to be a constellation; each star crafted uniquely, like tiny snowflakes, a slim line joining them together.  
  
She turned to Chakotay to comment on the carving when the air seemed to draw from her lungs. Her mind went into a mild state of panic. At first she thought she’d missed something when she’d scanned herself for injuries, until she noticed Chakotay clutch his chest.  
  
Barely a second passed before a brilliant blast of purple light exploded from the building, knocking Kathryn and Chakotay off their feet. The wave expanded, shaking the cavern as it stretched into the darkness.  
  
The shock took a moment to wear off as she lay, staring at what little she could see of the ceiling. “What the hell!” Kathryn exclaimed.  
  
Chakotay, who had already pushed himself to his feet, extended a hand to help her up. She took his hand and once he'd pulled her to her feet collected her tricorder from the ground, where she’d dropped it. She was barely standing again when an ear-piercing screech echoed through the area from the direction of the crashed Flyer.  
  
“Come on!” Chakotay urged, grabbing her arm. She didn’t need any encouragement. They dashed in through the entryway and down a long corridor for good measure, listening as colossal blocks of ice came crashing down behind them.  
  
Glancing back she witnessed a chunk of ice, the size of a shuttle, smash down just outside the door, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Shards of ice bounced from the ground shooting in every direction, including toward them. She pulled Chakotay to the ground in an effort to protect them both from debris, but the ice melted harmlessly on some kind of energy barrier over the entrance.  
  
They both stared in amazement as the purple force field shimmered, then disappeared.  
  
She could hardly believe their luck _again_.  
  
Kathryn’s shock was interrupted by a bleeping from her tricorder. She glanced at the readings and perked up. “Chakotay!” she turned her wrist to show him the display. The wave of energy that had passed over them earlier had been a neutrino burst, the same readings she’d detected almost a day ago. The one that had piqued her curiosity and made her want to investigate this planet.  
  
Chakotay sat up, staring dumbfounded at the readings. “You were right,” he whispered.  
  
Her heart leapt at the implications of this discovery. Maybe, _just maybe_ she could get Voyager home after all.  
  
Chakotay seemed to realise the same, he met her eyes with a beautiful grin and for a moment she thought he might be about to hug her. Instead he helped her to her feet again, eyes lingering on hers for a breath. She felt, or perhaps imagined, a familiar spark pass between them. His mere proximity setting her heart racing and for a fraction of a second she thought that maybe he still loved her. But then his eyes flicked to the ground, and his smile dissipated as he motioned for her to lead the way.  
  
Kathryn turned regretfully into the darkness again, holding up her arm to light the way as they headed further into the building.  
  
The floor had changed, thankfully; it still appeared to be made from the same material, though the flecks had become less frequent. Kathryn realised immediately that the iridescent spots were indeed modelled after constellations; although the use of constellations with the closed ceiling over the city, was baffling to say the least. Yet another thing she’d probably never figure out.  
  
There were no passages or joining rooms extending off the hallway, though there were odd carvings along the wall. They appeared decorative, though given the appearance of the constellations they could have been anything.  
  
Curiosity, mixed with a desire to fill the silence that had fallen over them, made Kathryn change the scans on her tricorder, to get more data about their surroundings. She wasn’t at all disappointed.  
  
After only a moment she detected several remarkable things. There was a low level EM field being generated from within the structure. The building was over thirty stories tall at its highest point and two and a half kilometres wide at its broadest. There was structural damage on some of the higher floors, though the EM field seemed to be generating force fields overhead to keep the damage from spreading. There was no light to speak of, aside from what they themselves provided. In all likelihood the technological feature was malfunctioning due to the structural damage. But the _most_ incredible piece of information about the building was worth breaking the quiet. “ _My god_ , Chakotay,” she breathed. “This building is over three hundred _thousand_ years old.”  
  
His surprise was evident, as was his thirst for more information. His torch flicked to the walls and he examined one of the numerous random carvings. If he was able to discern some meaning to the markings he gave no indication.  
  
“And this place still has power,” Chakotay commented in amazement.  
  
“It’s incredible,” Kathryn ran her hand along the wall as they walked. Just as confounding as the place’s age, the wall was clean. “There’s no dust.”  
  
Chakotay ran a finger along the wall and withdrew it, obviously impressed by the lack of grime. “Three hundred thousand years – they must have one _hell_ of a cleaning service.”  
  
It wasn’t long before they reached a large, circular foyer of some kind. The roof here stood around ten feet high and as they passed their light over the smooth stone surface dozens of glittering luminescent dots became visible. Each formed yet another constellation and pointed toward one of the dozen corridors that led from their position.  
  
She couldn’t help but wonder what this place had been for. The size of the building placed prominence on whatever its function might be. “What do you think this place was?” Kathryn voiced her question.  
  
Chakotay gave a thoughtful frown, studying one of the many formations. “A temple maybe? A lot of species worshiped celestial bodies –” he paused and bobbed his head from side to side. “Though I’d be willing to bet the constellations were more like so form of communication.” The anthropologist in him must love this.  
  
Kathryn nodded in agreement.  
  
“Then again,” he amended pensively. “Given that this seems to be where the burst of energy came from – I think it’s more likely this place was a science facility, a laboratory of some kind.”  
  
Either theory made sense. Religion and science were commonly the two most prominent fields in a species development.  
  
Kathryn turned her beacon to the ground, noticing for the first time a perfect circle carved in the centre of the room and slim tracks leading to each of the twelve corridors. She moved up to the circle, kneeling beside it to examine it further.  
  
She jumped as the circle folded in on itself and a small tear shaped piece of smooth, silver metal, about one foot tall, rose up, resting with its point on the track.  
  
Chakotay whirled around, phaser in hand. His caution didn’t abate upon sight of the object.  
  
Then the thing startled them both as it spoke, a slim line of white light appeared, mimicking mouth movements.  
  
“Greetings, I am the Host,” the thing introduced itself in a pleasant tone.  
  
Kathryn exchanged an uncertain glance with Chakotay. She stood and took a step back, wary of the device’s intent. “I’m Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager,” she introduced herself.  
  
“I am aware,” the Host responded. It turned toward Chakotay – Kathryn hadn’t expected it to have a ‘front side’. “And your Al’chur, Commander Chakotay.”  
  
“How do you know my name?” Chakotay asked carefully.  
  
Kathryn squinted at the term ‘Al’chur’ pondering the etymology of the word, though she more pressing questions at the moment.  
  
“I performed a minor neural interface with you when you interacted with this building,” it responded in a friendly tone.  
  
They’d both touched the building in some way.  
  
“This interface allowed me to determine your species, linguistic capabilities, language, technology level and intentions.”  
  
“Then you know why we’re here?” Kathryn probed.  
  
“You desire to learn about our rift technology and use it to return home.”  
  
Kathryn’s breath caught in her throat. _Rift technology_. “Then – this facility has the ability to send my ship home?” she asked.  
  
“Affirmative, power to the generator is low, however.”  
  
Kathryn exchanged another glance with Chakotay. He gave an optimistic smile and brief nod.  
  
“We need to contact our ship, is there any way to cut through the interference created by the plasma storm?” Kathryn pressed.  
  
“The plasma storm is being generated by the creature,” it responded casually.  
  
_What the hell was that supposed to mean?_  
  
“The creature?” Chakotay questioned curiously.  
  
“It stalks this facility. Death comes to those it encounters,” the indifferent air of the Host’s tone sent a chill down Kathryn’s spine. She wasn’t the only one affected – Chakotay turned to face the pitch black corridors, phaser at the ready.  
  
Surely though, nothing could be alive _alone_ here. Kathryn gave a blasé smile. “Given the age of this facility and the duration it’s been untouched, there can’t be anything alive here.”  
  
“The creature has been feeding off the energy reserves of this facility, I have detected its life-signs within the last twelve hours,” the Host responded.  
  
Kathryn shared a worried frown with Chakotay. She was tempted to say they should remain here and wait for Voyager. Surely they’d cut through the interference sooner or later, but with the damage to the building and the collapsing roof she had no idea how long they might be. At the very least they should try to _contact_ Voyager.  
  
“I shall escort you to a location from where you can communicate with your vessel.” With that the Host began to move slowly along one of the tracks into the darkened corridor opposite the entrance.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My father has left my house and my BF is playing Fallout 4 so I can write again! It's a sacrifice he was willing to make.
> 
> I'm rather tipsy, so I hope my editing for this chapter is ok.

Walking through the pitch black tunnels Chakotay couldn’t help but jump every time a noise echoed throughout. As it turned out, those noises were rather frequent. Falling rubble from damage inside the building or ice outside clattering to the ground or even just the building settling all served to fuel his anxiety. At the very least he wasn’t the only one jumping every couple of minutes. Kathryn had made a move for her phaser a half-dozen times.  
  
In all honesty he’d be happy if they left now and sought shelter elsewhere, but from the amount of noise behind them it sounded as though half the ice ceiling had fallen in. He also doubted they’d find a building half as secure from the ice as this one.  
  
Their meanderings into the darkness had taken them past a dozen hallways and at least one stairwell, or what looked like one – though the steps were covered in detritus from one of the collapses Kathryn had spoken of earlier. Chakotay couldn’t help but wonder just how stable this building really was. Though the tricorder gave no indication they were in any danger.  
  
“My people, the Adanu were a culturally and scientifically advanced race who, at one stage, spanned thirty thousand light-years,” the Host began to speak as though the spiel was part of its programming.  
  
Chakotay exchanged a glance with Kathryn who exhaled a relieved breath. The noise was as much as shock as anything and for a moment he thought Kathryn might shush it, instead she gave a curious frown.  
  
“Thirty thousand light-years?” she whispered back. “What happened to the Adanu?” She sounded as enthusiastic for the answer as Chakotay would expect. Regardless of their situation Kathryn’s curiosity was as ravenous as always. She couldn’t resist finding out more about these people.  
  
As an anthropologist Chakotay was easily as curious for answers. Of course he wouldn’t have minded finding out more once they were in a relatively more secure position.  
  
“The civil war between the Ay-Adanu and the Toltachi came to a head,” the Host continued. “The Toltachi betrayed us to one of our great enemies who began to destroy our settlements. The Ay-Adanu began to build their cities underground, to avoid the confrontation – using rift technology to travel between worlds.”  
  
Hearing about civilisations that had fallen when humanity was in its infancy was both fascinating and intimidating. Chakotay could spend his life just learning about the Adanu alone. He wondered absently whether Kathryn would allow them time to learn more, should the rift technology not pan out. He suspected, though, that should this not get Voyager at least part way home, Kathryn might not be in much of a mood for exploration.  
  
“Did your people have religious beliefs?” he asked. He was as interested in the development of a culture as he was the level of technology they reached before their demise, but honestly he wanted to keep the subject away from the rift technology. Maybe he could keep Kathryn from getting her hopes up too high.  
  
“My people believed in the all-consuming Halte, a star that ate the cosmos and spat out the Adanu because he could not palate their taste.”  
  
Chakotay saw Kathryn smirk in the edge of his light.  
  
“Halte birthed the twin stars Ceslet and Kiron, sister and brother who vied for their father’s affections.  
  
“Ceslet, the radiant star burned bright over the Ay-Adanu, bringing them prosperity and strength, Kiron the blasted star was sickly and could not provide for his people: the Toltachi, who desired the lands and wealth of the Ay-Adanu.”  
  
The Host stopped suddenly, shocking Chakotay and apparently Kathryn to a halt. They both breathed a heavy sigh when it turned toward a left passage and continued on.  
  
“The Toltachi became restless in their poverty and attempted to overthrow the Ay-Adanu, beginning the Great War.”  
  
“How long did the war go on for?” Kathryn asked.  
  
Without thinking Chakotay interjected with his supposition. “They were at war from the moment they encountered one another?” His answer was a guess based on the story.  
  
Kathryn gave an uncertain frown as though ready to object.  
  
“Your Al’chur is correct, Captain,” the Host spoke first.  
  
He wasn’t exactly surprised by the answer. He’d heard similar stories from various other cultures. Kathryn, however, gave him and impressed smile.  
  
“And how long was that, exactly?” She questioned pointedly.  
  
“I cannot give you an exact duration, however the war lasted approximately six thousand, four hundred and seventy years,” the Host responded levelly. Then it stopped.  
  
Chakotay was glad he had been paying such close attention to it. He stopped about an inch before a solid stone wall. Kathryn had to brace herself to stop from walking into it.  
  
Not for the first time he wondered whether this place had enough power to activate whatever lighting might be available. The ability to see further than their beacon torches allowed was certainly an appealing prospect. If there was something else in this building with them he'd rather like to see it coming, should it attack.  
  
“The security door is active,” the Host stated. “I cannot open this hatch,” it turned to its right and shone a small light on an access tunnel, next to the door. “The access is not direct, however Captain Janeway, you should be able to fit through, follow to your left.”  
  
Kathryn glanced at the hatch and licked her lips. She didn’t look afraid, exactly, but Chakotay certainly wouldn’t call her enthusiastic.  
  
“Maybe I can go, Kathryn,” Chakotay offered. He wasn’t eager to be out of sight of one another, not with that ‘creature’ running about or with a building that may be on its last legs. If they had to be apart, though, it was his job to protect his captain, however he could.  
  
“You are too large for some sections of the access tunnels. Only Captain Janeway is slim enough,” the Host stated.  
  
Chakotay patted his stomach absently and frowned, which earned an amused smile from Kathryn. He felt a little self-conscious, though he knew the Host was probably more talking about their general difference in size, rather than his weight.  
  
Kathryn’s eyes flicked to the access and she gave a dutiful sigh. “I’ll be fine, Chakotay,” she told him in a rather certain tone.  
  
Chakotay wasn’t so sure. He knew her drive and her passion for their mission was strong. Kathryn was always far too willing to risk herself for the crew. She’d _happily_ give her life to get them home. Unfortunately, what she didn’t seem to realise was that the crew didn’t want that. He was certain a vast majority of them would rather take thirty more years to reach their destination if it meant keeping the crew together.  
  
On a more personal note, he couldn’t think of anything worse than losing her.  
  
Perhaps _his_ case was different? Perhaps he was just being biased, selfish? He’d never deny his feelings for her. He never wanted to. But surely he wasn’t alone; surely the crew wouldn’t allow her to sacrifice herself just for a chance to get home.  
  
Of course in times like this there was little stopping her. She was the captain and she’d do whatever she damn well pleased. His earlier anger bubbled to the surface again. Once she was set on something there was basically no talking her out of it - not without some kind of leverage at least. He didn’t want to be angry at her. He knew the kind of pressure she was under and he knew that she was just trying to do what was best of the crew – but _god_ could she be frustrating.  
  
“There isn’t another way around?” Chakotay asked the Host. Even walking for another hour would be worth not splitting them up. Surely in a building this size there had to be an alternate route.  
  
“This is the advanced scientific research wing,” the Host explained. “All access points will be locked.”  
  
Kathryn laid a hand on his arm in what he assumed was meant to be a comforting gesture. “It’s alright, Chakotay, I’ll have my phaser.” She holstered her tricorder and removed the bag from her shoulder, handing it to him. He wasn’t comforted, not in the slightest, but he took the bag and helped her remove the grating over the access.  
  
“Once you have reached the other side there will be an emergency release lever, next to the door. Pull it, to open the hatch,” the Host explained. Chakotay hadn’t thought of the thing as cold before, but its tone now felt as uncaring as – well, any other computer program.  
  
He wanted to ask her to be careful, but the sentiment sounded ridiculous. She’d be as careful as she could – until the idea of getting home was dangled before her.  
  
As though sensing his anxiety she paused before entering the tunnel. Her eyes met his and she took his hand, squeezing it gently and giving a warm smile. The token felt eerily reminiscent of the one she’d given before willingly getting herself assimilated by the Borg.  
  
Not wanting to show his own worry he returned the smile, though he wasn’t sure it reached his eyes.  
  
He reluctantly let her go into the dark crawl-way, watching nervously. His heart began to hammer in his chest the moment she moved from his view. With no idea how long he might be standing here, before the door opened, he began to pace nervously.  
  
If anything happened to her – he’d never forgive himself. Whether or not he could have joined her, gone instead of her or stopped her from coming down to this planet in the first place - he still felt responsible for her wellbeing.  
  
“Your Al’chur will succeed, Commander Chakotay,” the Host told him.  
  
Chakotay was surprised that the thing was perceptive enough to sense his unrest. Then again he’d just about worn a hole in the floor.  
  
He stopped pacing and glanced down at the small robot. “Are you still able to read my thoughts?” he couldn’t help but ask. _That_ would be the logical reason behind his observation, though Chakotay wasn’t exactly comfortable with the thought.  
  
“No,” the Host responded. “My connection to you was severed once you removed your hand from the wall.”  
  
Chakotay nodded, feeling a little relieved by the information. He remained silent again for a short time before another question arose. He’d thought of it earlier but had been too distracted to voice it. “What does ‘Al’chur’ mean? Is it colleague, friend?”  
  
The Host didn’t respond immediately and for a moment Chakotay thought it hadn’t understood the question, until it spoke. “The word does not translate directly into your language, but the closest approximation would be ‘the one for whom your star shines’.”  
  
He closed his eyes, letting the meaning of the term sink in. The phrase was poetic and beautiful and _completely_ accurate. If not for Kathryn he wasn't certain he'd have made it this far into their journey. No one would have. His case, of course, was a little different from the rest of the crew. No one else felt about her the way Chakotay did.  
  
He smiled at the idea. “We call that ‘soul-mates’,” he explained. “But we’re not together.”  
  
The Host seemed to ponder the information. “Together does not enter into the equation,” it said simply.  
  
Chakotay sniffed in amusement. “No, I suppose it doesn’t.” His feelings for her were ever-present, whether or not they would ever have a chance to explore a relationship.  
  
It occurred to him that the Host had referred to Chakotay as Kathryn’s Al’chur as well. His eyes flicked to the tunnel again and he gave another smile, this one a little more distant, more anxious than the last.  
  
_Be safe, Kathryn,_ he begged silently. _Don’t take any risks._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure I achieved what I was going for in this chapter...

The Host’s warning about the lack of room within the crawl-way should have been an indication of just how cramped Kathryn was going to be. After no more than ten seconds in the tunnel she could tell that it hadn’t been designed for comfort. She also doubted this had been the intended purpose of the tunnel.  
  
The walls weren’t straight, at times broad enough to fit comfortably, at others she was reduced to slithering along on her belly. The cramped space was confining enough that she couldn’t turn around, even if she wanted to. She just thanked whatever deity might be listening that she wasn’t claustrophobic.  
  
After a time it became evident that the crawl-space had originally been created as some kind of ventilation shaft. There were small ducts leading into the ceiling, although if their function was to move air around the building she suspected they were no longer functional.  
  
The thought was a minor comfort, if nothing else. She knew at the very least that she wouldn’t suffocate, should she get trapped somehow. Of course rescue might be difficult without taking the building apart.  
  
She paused and closed her eyes trying to focus on the positive; when she made it to the other side they would be one step closer to getting Voyager home. Today would be the day she got them back, no matter the cost.  
  
She continued on for about two minutes before she finally came to a ‘t’ intersection. The Host had said to go left, so with a great deal of effort she rounded the bend. The sharp corner pressed against her thigh and hip and the next section of crawl-way sat on a slight incline, causing her to contort her body to an odd angle to make it around.  
  
The incline flattened again allowing her to see the length of tunnel before her, a good thirty meters. Additional tunnels could be seen running from the right of the passage, spiking her paranoia all the more.  
  
She crawled about halfway down when a soft clattering sound echoed through the tunnel behind her. She paused dead and drew a deep, calming breath before turning as far as she could, to shine her light down the passage.  
  
There was nothing as far as she could see, though she’d already passed two of the intersecting tunnels. She shimmied to the side, attempting to get a better view of the passage, though the breadth of the chute was barely enough to turn.  
  
_I imagined it_ , she told herself firmly. She was just tense and jumpy and the sound could have been anything.  
  
With a great deal of effort she forced herself to face the direction she’d been heading and continued on.   
  
Her senses seemed heightened, as though she could hear and see and feel everything happening in the building. She wasn’t afraid, exactly. She was just being cautious, alone as she was, she _needed_ to be careful.  
  
Another crunching sound sent a chill down her spine and made her arms and legs turn to mush. She crouched low in the tunnel, attempting once again to see behind herself.  
  
Maybe Chakotay had just dropped something in the corridor? That could explain the noise. He wasn’t really the clumsy sort, but there was a first time for everything.  
  
She hung her head in an effort to control her breathing and calm her racing heart. Becoming panicked would do nothing for her except make the remainder of her venture through this tunnel worse than it already was.  
  
Turning back wasn’t an option and she could hardly stay here. So with a deep breath she pushed forward, concentrating on the reason she was here, the reason she was doing all of this.  
  
B’Elanna and Tom’s daughter could grow up on Earth and have a real future. Naomi could meet her father and begin preparing for the academy. Seven and Icheb could learn to grow in the wider Federation community.  
  
Then of course there was Chakotay. She would finally be able to tell him how she felt. There would be no holding back, no running, no denial. The very idea made her anxious, of course. There was a very good chance he no longer felt the way he had, long ago. But that hurt was a risk she had to take. She’d never forgive herself otherwise.  
  
Another noise, a grating sound like metal on metal, shocked her enough that she fumbled for her phaser, turning back in the direction she’d come again.  
  
She was shaking this time, her breathing stilted as she searched behind her for the source of the clamour.  
  
The sound of her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She thought for sure anyone, or _anything_ in the building would be able to hear it.  
  
_There’s nothing there_ , she told herself firmly. She closed her eyes turned back to the direction she’d been travelling. “Get a grip, Kathryn,” she told herself quietly. Panicking now would do nothing for her - nothing for _Voyager._  
  
She took another moment to centre herself once again, until she could move once more; though the thrumming of her heart had hardly abated.  
  
Crawling on she came to another 't' intersection. This time the bend wasn’t nearly so sharp, though her vision to the corridor behind her was cut completely. Her skin began to crawl and her mind began to imagine all sorts of nasty things lurking in the darkness behind her, breathing down her neck, ready to strike.  
  
Her imagination shocked some speed into her and she crawled along at a pace that might have broken records, should any exist. After only a few meters she came to a dead end.  
  
If she were to tell this story to anyone else she might be inclined to tell them that she remained perfectly calm and worked out that there was a grate on the very end wall. That was a lie, of course. Her hands searched the wall frantically, heart slamming against her ribcage as though making a bid for freedom. In her fluster she almost missed another grate on the left wall, but her hand found the cool metal and she began searching for the latch to release it.  
  
“You’re being ridiculous, Kathryn,” she chided herself in a whisper. “This isn’t you, you’re getting paranoid,” she added. The comfort of a voice, even if it was her own, seemed to be enough to slow her heartrate and she leant against the wall for a moment allowing her body to relax.  
  
With great care she pushed the side of the grating off the wall, holding it to make sure it didn’t clatter to the floor. This turned out to be far more difficult than she’d imagined and took her several attempts before she managed to remove it and not accidently replace it, in an effort keep it from slipping from her grasp.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief she placed the thing beside the access and pulled herself out, searching the darkness with her beacon. The corridor to her right split off at odd angles creating a sort of ‘v’ shape, with the door she was about to open as the centre point. The building material had changed to the same purple stone she’d noticed outside the building with veins of brilliant gold threaded throughout. She also noticed there were no carvings on the walls, on this side of the door.  
  
Another difference was that the floor had no golden flecks, no intricate star map to guide her way. Her curiosity burned to know what made this area different. Security was her best guess, though she wasn’t exactly sure _how_ security factored in when one could simply crawl through the ducts to bypass the door.  
  
In any case Kathryn found the lack of markings disconcerting. It certainly seemed to indicate a level of secrecy, given what she knew of other cultures.  
  
She turned her beacon toward both corridors, showing nothing more than the same purple stone as far as the light could penetrate.  
  
Satisfied that the corridors were empty she turned her attention to the door, looking for the lever the Host had spoken of. A cursory glance showed no distinguishing features.  
  
With a frustrated sniff, she walked along the wall feeling for any indentation in the stone. Given the size of the corridors she started at head height, under the assumption that the species that had created this building must have been larger than Humans.  
  
She closed her eyes concentrating on the smooth surface as she walked slowly along. Folds in the stone seemed to indicate that it had been laid in large bricks, though there were no rivets visible to the naked eyes. Apart from those lines, however, there seemed no indication of anything but wall.  
  
Kathryn’s eyes flicked open and she glared at the stone. _What kind of manual release was hidden?_ Presumably this would have been used in case of emergencies, fat lot of good it would do if one couldn’t actually find the thing.  
  
With a sigh she continued searching running her light over the area until she spotted a small crack, about shoulder height nestled right against the door frame, veins of gold running toward it from all directions. If she hadn’t known the lever was meant to be there somewhere, she’d never have noticed the thing.  
  
She felt around the location in an attempt to figure out how to activate the release. Her fingers found a small ring and she looped them through, pulling a switch of sorts.  
  
The door shifted to the left and she gave a triumphant smile as Chakotay and the Host came into view.  
  
Her revelry was short-lived, however.  
  
Chakotay’s beacon flicked behind her and he immediately made a move for his phaser.  
  
Kathryn turned, realising that something must have appeared behind her.  
  
_Right_ behind her.  
  
Something large and dark and clawed slapped her arm aside, as a blast from Chakotay’s phaser shot past her.  
  
Feeling a deep anger, intense fear and strong desire to protect, she managed to pull her own phaser from its holster, while the thing darted away from Chakotay’s phaser blast. She raised her weapon, but a bolt of red light slammed into the roof above the thing, causing it to give an ear-piercing screech, which rang out through the halls. The creature bounded back down the corridor with more speed than Kathryn would have thought possible.  
  
Seconds later the building shuddered and the sound of debris falling somewhere above them made Kathryn dart for the doorway.  
  
Chakotay took her by the arm pulling her toward the relative safety found beneath the frame. The entire building shook as though from a quake.  
  
Kathryn flicked her light to where the Host’s weapon had hit, shocked to discover that there wasn’t even a scratch. She returned her beacon to the corridor ahead, searching to make sure the – thing was gone.  
  
She didn’t manage to get a good look at the creature before it fled - only catching sight of teeth and claws and a dark red, carapace along what she assumed must have been its arms. The thing was huge, though, easily twice Kathryn’s size. Had she not managed to get the door open when she had there was a good chance she’d be dead now.  
  
She examined her arm where the thing had hit her. It hadn’t scored a decent blow, there was no cut, but she could feel the spot bruising.  
  
“Are you alright?” Chakotay broke her concentration.  
  
Kathryn almost jumped from the noise, but collected herself in time, giving a light smile. “I’m fine,” she answered distantly. “Just shocked more than anything.”  
  
He nodded his understanding.  
  
“We should continue,” the Host spoke.  
  
Chakotay gave Kathryn a concerned frown, eyes darting between hers and her arm.  
  
In an attempt to allay his fear she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Perhaps we’ve scared it off,” she attempted, though she didn’t really believe that was the case.  
  
She had the feeling this creature desired more than the Host had let on. That it wanted something from the building. She also got the distinct impression that she, Chakotay and the Host were standing in its way and that it would do anything in its considerable power to achieve its goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's left comments or kudos! You're amazing!


	5. Chapter 5

He’d almost lost her. That thought turned his stomach and it took all the strength he possessed not to scoop her into his arms. Today had been too full of ‘almosts’, perhaps the universe really was trying to tell him something? Now was hardly the time to profess his undying love for her, though. No matter how he longed to do so.  
  
Chakotay watched Kathryn carefully as she seemed to come to terms with what had just happened. She was exceptional at masking her emotions, or perhaps just well-practised, but Chakotay knew her too well. It wouldn’t take an empath to see that the creature had frightened her, though most people might miss the subtler signs that told just _how_ frightened she actually was. She clasped her hands together and massaged them nervously. Her eyes avoided his for a good long while, the lack of lighting certainly working in her favour. He could also hear the change in her breathing as she took deep and stilted breaths.  
  
He wasn’t immune to the fear, of course. Just the _thought_ of the large, blood-red - _thing_ standing behind her set his heart racing. Miniscule eyes in a large skull, with protruding bone spikes and elongated teeth and claws would certainly fuel his nightmares for years to come.  
  
The most frightening thing, perhaps, was the fact that his phaser didn’t appear to deter its attack. He’d watched helplessly as the thing took a swipe at Kathryn. If the Host hadn’t been present, she might not have survived. That being said, the Host had made one hell of an effort to bring the building down atop them. Chakotay still heard stone falling overhead.  
  
“We should continue,” the Host told them, not bothering to temper its volume.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye Chakotay noticed the venomous glare Kathryn gave their guide. Obviously she was no more impressed by it’s volume, than he was.  
  
The Host didn’t wait for either of them to respond, beginning its trek down the right-hand corridor; the same one the creature had taken toward.  
  
Chakotay waited for Kathryn’s lead, though his gut _screamed_ that they should stay here, or move back to the main chamber. They could seal this wing off again and trap the creature in here. Voyager _would_ break through the interference sooner or later.  
  
Ready as he was to voice his recommendation, though, he _knew_ Kathryn would never go for it. The building’s precarious state alone would be enough to prevent her from agreeing. They couldn’t count on the idea that Voyager would rescue them before the structure collapsed on itself – and even if they did, she’d still want to find and use the rift technology.  
  
She turned to him and gave a short nod, before following behind the Host.  
  
He’d just have to keep her alive long enough to get back to Voyager, which was easier said than done.  
  
He tried his best to keep by Kathryn’s side. He wanted to make sure that, should the _thing_ return, he’d be able to protect her. If the phasers didn’t work their confrontation might become physical. Kathryn could fight, but that thing had dwarfed her, it had to have been twice _his_ size at least. He may not be as large as the creature, but he'd certainly stand a better chance than she would.  
  
His plan faltered as they passed a pair of intersecting passageways. He passed his light over both, watching for any movement. The thing could _literally_ be anywhere, now.  
  
If nothing else, at least his constant vigilance was giving him a steady supply of adrenaline. He was exhausted; having skipped out on sleep last night, in order to make sure he was aboard the flyer if Kathryn tried anything. His adrenaline served to keep him conscious and very much on edge.  
  
“This communications array you’re taking us to, how will it penetrate the storm?” Kathryn asked in a rather perturbed sounding hiss.  
  
Chakotay watched her expression, noting her narrowed eyes and her thin lips. She certainly seemed in a bad mood, though he supposed he could understand why. Kathryn was a proud woman. Being surprised, as she had been, would have embarrassed her.  
  
“We have satellites in orbit,” the Host responded simply.  
  
“We didn’t see any satellites,” Kathryn retorted rather hotly.  
  
Or – was he wrong? Chakotay wasn’t certain, but she appeared angry with the Host, rather than herself. He kept his eye on her, ready to step in should her anger truly flare.  
  
“The Adanu have stealth technology, it is unlikely your vessel would have detected them.”  
  
“After three hundred thousand years how can you be sure they’re still functional? How can you be sure they haven’t been damaged or destroyed by the storm?” She challenged without pause.  
  
Her fists were clenched and she was glaring at the back of their guide’s form with an intensely disdainful expression.  
  
Chakotay leaned across and placed a hand on her shoulder, making eye contact. He didn’t want to speak, just in case the creature could hear them. She met his eyes and appeared startled for a moment, before her anger deflated and her eyes softened. She shook her head as though to dislodge the negativity from her mind and mouthed an apology.  
  
He gave a warm smile to show that there was no harm done, at least to him and decided to take the conversation from there. “What the captain means is: are you sure your communications will still be functioning after so long?”  
  
“Adanu technology is superior,” the Host responded simply.  
  
_Superior to what,_ Chakotay couldn’t help but wonder, _three hundred thousand years, a war and at least one plasma storm?_  
  
“Are you able to interface with them?” Chakotay pondered aloud. The question was foolish, really; if it had been able to interface with the satellites it would likely have been able to send a message to Voyager.  
  
“Once we reach our destination you will be able to access the satellite network.”  
  
Chakotay frowned. Perhaps Kathryn’s irritation with the Host was well founded after all. It did seemed rather evasive.  
  
He turned to see what Kathryn thought. Her glare had returned and she didn’t even seem to notice Chakotay trying to gain her attention.  
  
He placed a hand on her shoulder again, this time her glare didn’t disappear. Her eyes flicked to the Host as though trying to indicate the source of her irritation. Kathryn was a perceptive woman. Perhaps she knew why it was being evasive?  
  
He attempted to question her about it and walked straight into the Host, who had stopped.  
  
Alerted, he glanced up to see another door in the same purple stone, with golden veins.  
  
“We have arrived, I must disengage the security seal,” the Host explained.  
  
Chakotay turned toward Kathryn and touched her shoulder once again, gaining her attention. He gave an inquisitive look, a question, ‘what’s wrong?’  
  
She gave a light frown, eyes flicking to the Host again before giving a slow shake of her head; she didn’t trust it.  
  
She must have noticed something more specific than it's evasiveness. Something that he hadn’t seen; perhaps something in the crawl-way? Normally she’d be more proactive in warning him of anything she’d perceived as a threat, this time she just seemed jumpy and distracted.  
  
Could his first guess be correct after all? Had the creature unsettled her so much that she was taking her irritation out on the Host? That didn’t really seem like Kathryn, but he was the first to admit that he didn’t know everything about her.  
  
Still, her anxiety had him worried.  
  
A loud ‘click’ sounded behind them, followed by the grating of stone on stone as the door shifted open.  
  
Both Chakotay and Kathryn turned their lights into the large room. The walls had been constructed using the same purple stone as the corridors. Three strange apparatus, Chakotay could only assume were consoles of some form, lined the back wall. Tall sterile benches sat in rows between the door and the consoles giving the room a ‘laboratory’ feel.  
  
“From here you can access the Adanu communications array,” the Host began. “The central console.” It turned as though to indicate the direction.  
  
Kathryn made a move toward the back of the room, but as her light moved Chakotay saw something behind them, from the corner of his eye. He turned, light barely catching the creature in its beam as it dashed through the door, charging toward Kathryn.  
  
Chakotay lunged forward, pushing her down and away from the thing before ripping his phaser from its holster. He’d be damned if, after all they’d been through today, he’d let this thing hurt her.  
  
At first Kathryn seemed shocked, but her surprise only lasted a moment before she too had her phaser out, trying to track where the creature had gone.  
  
Chakotay bounded back to his feet, trying to keep himself between the thing and his Captain. His efforts were in vain, however. The creature was too fast. It rushed forward, ignoring his and Kathryn’s phaser blasts on the way as it lunged for them letting out a hideous shriek as it attacked.  
  
The Host’s reaction time was a little slower than theirs, but its tactic didn’t change at all. It took a shot at the ceiling above their heads.  
  
Unfortunately this section of the building hadn’t held up quite as well as the corridors. A large brick above them shattered, spraying debris in every direction.  
  
Chakotay acted purely on instinct as he dove across to protect Kathryn once again. A large piece of stone struck him at the base of the skull. He fell to the ground, dazed, but still conscious – barely.  
  
“Chakotay!” he heard Kathryn cry out.  
  
He could hear his phaser skitter away. He could feel the building shaking as it had done after the Host’s last attempt to scare off the creature and he could see the creature turn back toward Kathryn. But he was powerless to help.  
  
Seconds later she was on the floor in front of him, the creature above her, its thin, clawed limb raised and ready to strike. He wanted to do something, to help her, but his body refused to respond, leaving him to watch helplessly as the thing attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What! A cliff-hanger? You _suck_ Talsi!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with full stops on the end of _all_ sentences!
> 
> Thank you, carly for pointing that out!

A Deep anger and resentment coursed through her. Fear and determination warred for dominance in the turbulent pool of her emotions. It was enough to make her ill.  
  
Kathryn fought for control, fought to keep her head above the storm, but it was too strong and dragged her under.  
  
At first she had no idea what was happening. Images flittered across her mind like the fast-flipped pages of a picture book. The lives and deaths of thousands of beings, a galaxy afire, artificially generated wormholes intersecting planets or massive ships and tearing them apart. She saw war and chaos, billions of beings murdered or enslaved.  
  
She saw cities burning, a coalition of various alien species in council, passing a declaration of war. Stars shining brilliantly and people weeping as they were hidden away.  
  
Other images, a vast room on the floors above them, the tracks upon which the Host travelled and the locked door they’d just entered only served to confuse her.  
  
The images were ripped from her mind and she felt as though she’d been thrown into a frozen ocean. She floundered, panicked, before finally coming back to the world on the hard, purple stone floor. The creature tumbled to the side, a ray of energy burned across her vision.  
  
Kathryn pushed herself up, suddenly conscious of not connecting skin to the thin lines of gold wending their way through the stone. At first she couldn’t remember why that was so important, but the Host’s words earlier about being able to read her thoughts danced through her mind.  
  
Her eyes flicked to the creature noting the tiny eyes, pale complexion under its hard exoskeleton. The thing was almost blind and it was telepathic – the creature, a _she_ , Kathryn was certain, belonged to the species that once resided here. None of that was theory, Kathryn knew it for fact.  
  
Mind fogged and dulled Kathryn couldn’t quite comprehend the images she’d seen, but she knew of the creature’s abilities and of her anger. A vicious, intense loathing, directed at the Host. Kathryn felt the hatred and disgust radiating from her like a fire burning out of control.  
  
She closed her eyes and shook her head attempting to dislodge the cobwebs from her mind and piece together the images she’d been shown. They were in imminent danger, she knew that much, but not from the creature as it turned out.  
  
“What did it show you?” the Host demanded.  
  
_The creature, its people had waged war on the galaxy – billions of people had been lost._  
  
Kathryn rubbed her head and frowned, feigning ignorance. “The floor,” she joked groggily. Playing dumb seemed rather important at this time.  
  
She glanced down at Chakotay, who appeared semi-conscious, eyes fluttering dozily. She had to contact Voyager; he needed medical attention.  
  
_There was something about a vast chamber on the upper floors of this facility. Something vitally important, what was it?_  
  
“You lie,” the Host stated simply.  
  
Kathryn froze, eyes still locked with Chakotay.  
  
_How did it know?_  
  
“What do you mean?” she gave a short laugh that sounded more nervous than flippant, as she’d desired.  
  
“You forget, while I cannot connect to your mind, I can connect to hers.”  
  
Kathryn’s eyes flicked again to the unconscious form lying next to her. She swallowed, mind racing as she tried to both, interpret the images that had been presented to her and figure a way out of this situation.  
  
The more time that passed the easier the images were to comprehend. They coalesced together forming a strange sort of story, though there were still pieces missing. She knew the Host had an ulterior motive, something dangerous and damaging. She also knew that many lives were in danger, hers, Chakotay’s, Voyager’s, perhaps the whole quadrant.  
  
She pushed herself to her knees and moved to check on Chakotay, ignoring the Host in the hopes it might think she hadn’t understood the images she’d been shown.  
  
Chakotay had no visible wounds, but his eyes seemed unable to focus. He let out a low grunt, an attempt to talk, which piqued her concern for him further. He’d paled and beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. He needed medical attention urgently.  
  
“You will activate the central console and use the commands I give you, this will allow you to contact your ship,” the Host attempted.  
  
Kathryn knew the central console did nothing of the sort. In fact, she was certain now that there was no communication available, at least not from this room.  
  
She cupped Chakotay’s cheek earning a weak grunt and shake of his head. He’d realised something was going on. She closed her eyes and gave a light smile, attempting to reassure him. It seemed to do quite the opposite. His eyes clouded with concern, his smile faltering on his lips. ‘No,’ he mouthed.  
  
With a deep breath Kathryn pushed herself to her feet, scrounging through the imagery in her mind again. The large room, a chamber above them, held something the Host wanted. Activating that central console would release it. The creature had kept itself alive for three _hundred thousand years_ in the attempt to prevent that. Kathryn saw her struggle, drawing power from the facility’s energy reserves.  
  
“Activate the central console, Captain,” the Host attempted again.  
  
_Weapons, it had to be devastating weapons, capable of great destruction,_ she surmised.  
  
Kathryn held her ground. “No.”  
  
The Host turned slightly, toward Chakotay. “You have one weakness, Captain, and you brought him with you. Activate the central console, or I will kill your Al’chur.”  
  
Kathryn’s heart tightened at the very thought of losing Chakotay. Her gut reeled and her breathing became stilted as her mind raced through her possibilities. If she could conjure up the image of what was being held in the chamber she might be able to come up with a way to stop the Host’s plan.  
  
Her eyes flicked to Chakotay, then to the creature before returning to the Host. She needed – she needed to buy herself some time.  
  
She couldn’t live without Chakotay, she just couldn’t do it. “Don’t hurt him,” she begged. It wasn’t until she spoke that she realised she had tears in her eyes. This whole situation was deteriorating quickly and for the life of her she had no idea how she could possibly get them both out alive.  
  
“Activate the central console,” the Host demanded again.  
  
“Fine,” she breathed.  
  
She began to walk forward, mind still trying to find a way out of this situation. She had seconds before she’d reach the back of the room and not much longer before the Host’s plan came to fruition.  
  
Her fingers itched to pull her phaser. They had since the first attack – at least now she knew why. But the Host tracked her progress; she doubted she’d get the thing halfway out of its holster before she and Chakotay were dead.  
  
“What exactly is your plan?” she asked, attempting to concentrate on the images again; the answer had to be in there. What she _really_ needed was a distraction.  
  
“The Adanu will reign again,” the Host responded simply.  
  
Kathryn wasn’t entirely too sure what the Host meant by its statement. She really needed more time, more time to sort through the images and sensations in her mind.  
  
She focused on the Host’s ominous words in an attempt to draw their meaning from her mind. It had to be a weapon – or…  
  
The creature’s odd visual hadn’t shown her much of the room until she held the image in her mind. Hundreds of thousands of pods lined the floor and walls, each large enough to hold a something large – or someone. Stasis pods. Hundreds of thousands of stasis pods.  
  
She halted mid-step before reaching the console. “Adanu in stasis?” she breathed before she could stop herself,  
  
“I will kill your Al’chur, Captain,” the Host said again. Emphasising its point it turned toward Chakotay once again.  
  
Every ounce of training told her that couldn’t give in to the Host’s demand. Every vile and terrifying image the creature had shown her told her that one life wasn’t worth the destruction that would befall the galaxy, should she release the Adanu. But Chakotay wasn’t just anyone. The Host was right; Kathryn had one weakness and she’d brought him with her.  
  
She closed her eyes, begging the universe for forgiveness. Whatever the Host wanted her to do, it was obvious it couldn’t manage on its own.  
  
Drawing a deep breath she began to voice her refusal, but the creature shrieked an ear splitting, agonising sound, writhing on the spot. The noise was enough to draw the Host’s attention, just the distraction she’d needed.  
  
She pulled her phaser from its holster once again. Her instinct was to shoot the Host’s metallic frame, but one of the images the creature had made a point of showing her had been the track. She took aim, firing at the slim lines underneath the Host.  
  
Rather anti-climactically the Host clattered to the floor, its meagre light going instantly dim.  
  
Kathryn stared in stunned silence for a short time, before remembering that both of her companions needed medical assistance.  
  
She rushed to Chakotay’s side first, taking the backpack from his arm and pulling out the med-kit. She opened the medical tricorder and scanned him. He had a concussion and a broken rib. Relatively speaking he was fine, all things considered. He wouldn’t even need surgery.  
  
Her relief was palpable, but she knew that she still needed to get him back to sickbay. Before moving to check on the creature she placed a hand on Chakotay’s cheek once again and gave him a warm smile. He returned the grin groggily, eyes closing affectionately.  
  
Reluctantly she pulled her hand back and returned her focus to the creature. She understood its method of communication, some kind of ‘conductive telepathy’ using the gold in the floor and walls as a conduit. The flecks of gold that she and Chakotay had assumed were constellations were more akin to brail.  
  
Placing her hand on the gold would allow the creature to read her thoughts, but in order to respond – Kathryn took one of the creature’s clawed hands in hers.  
  
There was no rush of images this time. The creature’s desperation to pass on as much knowledge in as short a time as possible had passed, now the transfer of information was much calmer.  
  
She showed Kathryn that she had barricaded herself in here almost three hundred thousand years earlier. Her species were able to survive on little, using a strange form of hibernation. She knew that should the Host make it to this room it would figure out a way to release the Adanu itself and she couldn’t allow that to happen.  
  
The next image she revealed was a sequence on one of the consoles, a way to disperse the plasma storm in orbit and remove the interference blocking them from contacting Voyager.  
  
“Thank you,” Kathryn whispered. She made a move to pull away, but the creature held tight indicating that it had more to show.  
  
A map of the bottom floor of the facility was placed in her mind indicating a room across the other side of the building. At first Kathryn was confused as the why the creature was showing her the location, until she added the image of a wormhole. She gave the sequence to enter into the console there that would allow her to activate a rift. The power was low, but would be enough to give them one shot at getting home.  
  
Voyager would get home.  
  
Kathryn couldn’t quite think how she could possibly thank the creature until one of the images she’d been given earlier popped into her mind; the stars. She visualised the sky from her home in Indiana, the stars overhead and the constellations they made, trying to put as much detail into the image as she could. A warm sense of joy flooded through her, not unlike lying in the sun on a perfect day.  
  
“I can take you to my ship,” she told the creature.  
  
The warm sensation faded away, replaced by a chill that Kathryn could only describe as loneliness. The creature was dying. She’d lived longer than anyone should. It was her time.  
  
She relaxed her grip, once again ready to let go, but the creature wasn’t finished it seemed. She showed her an image of the chamber above them, then the right-most console in the room they were currently in. Then another sequence, one that would activate a self-destruct, killing those in stasis.  
  
Kathryn got the sense that the creature had been trying to get into this room since she first trapped herself here. But she and the Host had been at a stalemate. Only the Host had access to this room and only the creature could open the door in the corridor, which would allow the Host access to this wing.  
  
She attempted to withdraw, shocked by the request. The creature wanted Kathryn to kill everyone in the pods; hundreds of thousands of people.  
  
“I can’t do that,” Kathryn refused.  
  
More images flooded her mind again. She could sense the creature’s desperation as it showed her people ravaging the galaxy, slaughtering people by millions. She saw images of a war long past, rifts ripping apart planets, children screaming for their parents.  
  
Her heart went out to those who had been killed and to this creature, but she just couldn’t do it.  
  
“It’s still murder,” she objected again.  
  
There was another alternative. “I can set up a warning buoy,” she offered. “It’ll warn of danger on the planet’s surface.”  
  
A deep sadness welled within the creature, but she released Kathryn’s hand as though in acquiescence.  
  
“Thank you,” she whispered again, placing the creature’s hand back on the ground.  
  
She moved to the back of the room and keyed in the sequence to remove the plasma storm from orbit.  
  
“Janeway to Voyager,” she tried after tapping her comm badge.  
  
“Tuvok here, Captain,” his voice crackled, but she could hear him.  
  
She bowed her head, smiling in relief. Today had taken a dramatic turn for the better. She almost wanted to savour the moment, but she couldn’t wait around for too long.  
  
“Tuvok, beam Commander Chakotay directly to sickbay and standby to beam me back,” she requested. Her eyes flicked to Chakotay who gave a worried frown.  
  
“Very well, Captain. There is still some interference, a low EM field is covering the building, so it may take us some time to get a lock,” the Vulcan explained.  
  
Kathryn turned to Chakotay, watching anxiously until he vanished. She gave a relieved sigh before heading for the door.  
  
“Captain, how long will you be? Our sensors show that the building you are in is unstable.”  
  
“Not too long, Tuvok,” she responded. “I have something important to take care of here.”  
  
“Captain?”  
  
She debated whether to tell them, prudence won out; if she told them and something went wrong she’d just be getting their hopes up for no reason. “I’ll contact you the moment I’m ready to return. Janeway out.”

***=/\=***

She writhed in agony as the invader exited the room. Her plan had failed, her mission lost. The odd creature’s promise to ‘warn people away’ certainly wouldn’t be enough.  
  
She ran a claw over the gold, sensing the console at the back of the room. It might as well have been the other side of the facility. Waiting to die was not an option. She had been selected for this mission specifically for her ingenuity and endurance.  
  
She concentrated, building her strength and forced her arms to pull her along, toward to the console.  
  
Through her last breath of life in this world, she would _not_ fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the kudos and comments, I really appreciate it!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, another chapter, whaat?

The building’s size and the winding corridors almost made Kathryn lose her way. Her only saving grace was that many of the other routes were blocked by doors. Each time she came to a closed door she had to backtrack, the map implanted in her mind had indicated that she’d not need to pass through any. Though not perfect, the map did help her track her path and eventually find her way to the correct room. Her route probably hadn’t been the fastest, but she managed to make it in around twelve minutes.  
  
The door was open, thankfully, and she gazed into a large room, easily twice the size of the one in which they’d confronted the Host.  
  
She passed her beacon over the area to make certain it matched the image shown to her earlier.  
  
The walls here were made from something Kathryn couldn’t identify by sight: a kind of grey glass that didn’t reflect her beacon. Given the rest of the building, the architecture here was certainly a surprise. Most important, though was the short, metallic platform in the centre of the space, holding two consoles. She recognised them from here and gave a triumphant smile as she made her way to them.  
  
Kathryn made it about halfway along the platform when the building shook violently. With nothing to clutch she stumbled forward awkwardly.  
  
She had no time to dodge out of the way as a massive piece of grey tiling fell from the ceiling, striking her in the shoulder and almost pinning her leg. The humorous in her left arm snapped with a nauseating ‘crunch’. She felt the bone tare through her flesh, blood pooling around the wound.  
  
A jagged piece of tiling punctured her calf, sending a white hot agony through her leg. She cried out in pain, clutching the area with her uninjured hand.  
  
The pain was blinding, so much so that she almost missed an indicator on the panel closest to her, a red flashing light. From the images she’d been shown she knew the light indicated a power reserve. The energy required to generate a rift was running low. If she didn’t activate a rift now she would never be able to.  
  
Gritting her teeth through the pain she pushed herself onto her good leg and hopped forward. The pain was intense, but she was so close to attaining her goal. She wouldn’t fail them. Voyager _would_ get home today.  
  
She supported herself on the console as she inputted the coordinates for the rift and activated it. A buzz sounded and she recognised it as a confirmation.  
  
She’d done it. She’d actually done it!  
  
She tapped her comm badge delicately, given her injury. “Janeway to Voyager,” she spoke with as much strength as she could manage.  
  
“Tuvok here, Captain. Did _you_ activate the rift?” the security chief questioned.  
  
“Yes, I’m ready to beam back,” she responded.  
  
There was a pause; too long for any ordinary delay. Something had gone wrong.  
  
“There was an explosion on the upper floors of the building,” he began. Kathryn should have known the creature wouldn’t just leave her people to be discovered again.  
  
“I am afraid, Captain, that the EM field covering the lower levels of the building has strengthened. We cannot get a lock on your location.”  
  
Kathryn turned her back on the console and slowly took a seat as she let his words sink in. The rift would be open no longer than twenty minutes, probably not even that long. There was really only one choice now: they needed to leave without her.  
  
Exhaling, she closed her eyes and a small, ironic smile touched her lips.  
  
It figured. It really did. Since Voyager became trapped in the Delta Quadrant she’d always suspected that she’d need to give her life to get the crew home. She didn’t want to die, of course, but if it meant allowing them to have normal lives, lives without the constant stress and danger of the Delta Quadrant, she’d happily do so.  
  
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Tuvok - I’m ordering you to take Voyager into the rift.” Her words weighed heavy on her heart and she bid a silent farewell to her ship and her crew.  
  
There was another pause. This one seemed to last a lifetime - in a way it did. Finally Tuvok responded. “Aye, Captain,” and the channel closed. With time she’d have made a personal farewell to each member of the crew, but this was better. There were members of the crew who would object, perhaps it would be better for them to find out once Voyager was already safely through the rift.  
  
The pain in her leg and arm distracted her. She opened the medkit, removing the hypospray and the three vials of painkiller remaining. The pain began to dull once she touched the device to her neck. Her limbs still throbbed, but the pain was bearable, for now.  
  
With the agony temporarily dulled she rifled through the medkit for the dermal regenerator, finding the head damaged and unusable. She sighed and leaned her head back against the console; she was going to have to wrap it. Only having one arm was going to make that terribly difficult.  
  
She removed the bandage inside and delicately pinned the end to her uniform pants, hoping it would stay long enough for her to begin running the cloth around her leg. It took three attempts before the damn things hooked properly and she was able to wrap the bandage around her calf, well, around her pant leg at any rate. The dressing was purely for comfort, so she didn’t bother making it too perfect. It was unlikely she’d need the use of her leg again, after all.

***=/\=***

The bridge crew turned to watch Tuvok the moment the Captain gave her order. He paused, uncharacteristically, eyes panning the room before inclining his head ever so slightly. Tom had grown to know Tuvok well, he recognise the flash of upset behind his eyes. He knew then what the Vulcan was going to order. There _had_ to be another way.  
  
He indicated for Harry to close the comm channel and turned back toward the screen. “Mr Kim, how long before the rift closes?”  
  
Harry seemed in a momentary daze, but caught himself with the shake of his head. “Ah, fifteen minutes, give or take,” he answered weakly. “But I estimate it’s begin to degrade in about ten,” he added.  
  
Tuvok gave a short nod, as though assessing the numbers in his mind. Tom wasn’t exactly sure what he was thinking, but his heart almost stopped when the Vulcan seemingly finished his calculation with a frown.  
  
“Mr Paris, plot a course for the rift and engage on my mark,” Tuvok ordered.  
  
“No,” Tom surprised himself by replying immediately. He found, though, that if it were a choice between getting the crew home and leaving the Captain here to die or sending a rescue team to get her out and missing this opportunity to return to the Alpha Quadrant, he’d choose the latter option any day.  
  
He owed Captain Janeway everything. His whole life had taken a turn for the better out here. He had a wife and a baby girl on the way. He was the chief conn officer of the most magnificent starship he’d ever flown. He had friends here who were irreplaceable – one of whom was stuck on the planet below them. He’d be damned if he let Tuvok leave her behind.  
  
Tuvok’s gaze fell on him. “Plot the course, Mr Paris,” he reiterated in a tight tone.  
  
“Belay that,” Chakotay said as he entered the bridge. Tom had never been so happy to see the Commander in his life.  
  
“Commander, I am following a direct order from the Captain,” Tuvok attempted to explain.  
  
“What order is that?” Chakotay questioned. He mightn’t know the whole story, but there were two facts evident: Tuvok wanted to plot a course for the rift and Captain Janeway wasn’t present.  
  
“We are no longer able beam through the EM field over the building, Captain Janeway requested that we-”  
  
“We are not leaving her behind!” Chakotay snapped, interrupting him. “We all get home, or none of us do. She wouldn’t leave anyone else.” Tom knew that to be true. She would fight tooth and nail to get her crew, her _whole_ crew home, safely.  
  
“We need another option,” Chakotay added.  
  
“Wait!” Harry exclaimed. “I think I might be able to penetrate the EM field and transport her aboard,” he added excitedly. “If she’s in the room we beamed the Commander from, I can use the data from our last transport to get a lock.”  
  
Tom’s eyes flicked from Harry to the Chakotay. He was certain the Commander had never appeared happier. He tapped his comm badge, “Chakotay to Janeway.”

***=/\=***

Kathryn stared at the last of the painkillers; thirty hours’ worth. Thirty hours before the pain would become unbearable again, if the building didn’t collapse on her first.  
  
As things stood she was looking at a rather slow and painful death. Her eyes flicked on the hypospray again. Three doses of the painkiller would overdose her. Were she to take the rest she would fall unconscious and pass away peacefully, relatively, at least. For less than a heartbeat she considered that as an option. It wasn’t, though. She wasn’t ready for death.  
  
The fact that the thought passed her mind nauseated her as much as the pain in her limbs. Disgusted, she tossed the vials back into the medkit and slammed the lid shut.  
  
“Chakotay to Janeway,” her first officer’s voice broke over the comm.  
  
She hung her head. Chakotay had returned from sickbay and taken command again. She’d hoped Tuvok might manage to get Voyager through the rift before the Doctor cleared him. With a dejected sigh she tapped her comm badge. “Janeway here.”  
  
“Captain, we can beam you out of there.”  
  
Kathryn perked at his statement. She could go home. She could see her mother and Phoebe again. She could sit under her tree and read, visit her father and Justin’s graves and she could see Mollie again.  
  
She could tell Chakotay how she felt.  
  
“But you’ll need to get back to the room I was beamed out from, before the rift begins to destabilise.”  
  
Her revelry fell as swiftly as it came, accompanied by the sensation of being stabbed in the heart. She placed a hand over her chest in a vain attempt to numb the pain that overshadowed her broken arm and split calf by a mile.  
  
“The rift has about nine minutes, Captain,” Harry revealed excitedly.  
  
She cleared her throat, fighting to keep her voice steady. “I – I’m injured,” she revealed. She paused trying to bring herself to order them to leave again. “I’ll never make it that far.”  
  
She knew what was about to happen. Much as she hoped that he wouldn’t, Chakotay uttered the one phrase she dreaded to hear above all others: “We’re not leaving without you.”  
  
“I can’t even walk,” she objected. “I gave Tuvok an order to get Voyager through that rift, before it closes.” She couldn’t handle this. She couldn’t be the one that kept Voyager from making it again. If they brought her back aboard and Voyager missed the rift she’d – break.  
  
“Listen to me, Kathryn,” Chakotay began urgently. He seldom used her first name in front of the crew and its use, on this occasion, certainly served to gain her attention. “Voyager _will not_ enter that rift without her Captain aboard,” he growled. “So if you want this crew to get home, you will get to that room, _now_.”  
  
He knew. He _knew_ she would blame herself and that she would do anything in her power to prevent Voyager from remaining stuck. He was playing on her guilt and the worst thing was – it was working.  
  
With an angry sniff she pushed herself to her feet, letting out a grunt of pain when her injured leg took any weight.  
  
She concentrated bringing up a mental map of the place again and trying to recall every location she’d found a dead end. She was certain she could cut down her time, if she didn’t make any wrong moves and she pushed herself she could make it.  
  
_For Voyager_ , she told herself firmly. She _would make it_ back, for Voyager.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's very late and I should probably have waited till morning to do this.
> 
> Thanks again for the comments and kudos, you're my favourite reader!

Chakotay paced the front of the bridge anxiously, turning occasionally to Harry, waiting to hear anything. Any news that either Kathryn had made it back to a location they could beam her from - or that the rift had begun to degrade. The young man remained silent however, staring fixedly at his console.  
  
He couldn’t stand this, waiting around, feeling helpless. It was his responsibility to take care of her – as her first officer. Briefly he considered beaming back down so that he could meet her halfway through the building, help her – _hell_ , he’d carry her if he had to! The idea was ridiculous though; he had no idea where she’d gone and with the intricate, winding corridors of that building he’d be hard pressed to find her before they ran out of time. So instead he was forced to sit, or more accurately pace, and wait, feeling more and more uneasy as the minutes wore on.  
  
The best information they had about her was that her comm signal moved. They couldn’t tell accurately how far or whether she was going to make it in time, but at least they knew she was moving.  
  
Chakotay fought every instinct within him that told him to hail and ask about her progress. He knew she was needed to focus on what she was doing. She couldn’t afford that kind of distraction and he certainly didn’t want to cause her to fall behind.  
  
He’d already laid the groundwork for severe self-flagellation, on Kathryn’s part, should she not make it. He’d known the moment the words touched his lips that, though they were the best way to motivate her to make it back in time, they would also be her undoing should they remain trapped. Regardless of the fact that _Chakotay_ had been the one to make the decision to wait for her, she would blame herself.  
  
Worse, though, it would damage their friendship. Would she be able to forgive him, knowing that he’d used Voyager as leverage and lost them another opportunity to get home? He hated that thought more than anything in the world. He never intended to disappoint her or hurt her – but if disappointing her or hurting her meant keeping her alive, it was a price he was all too happy to pay.  
  
He couldn’t lie, not to himself; his plan had been entirely selfish. He couldn’t lose Kathryn, not now. Not _ever_. He didn’t care if they remained in the Delta Quadrant for the rest of their lives as long as Kathryn survived this day. Her life was a sacrifice he, and most of the crew, weren’t willing to make. He couldn’t help but glance up toward Tuvok. The Vulcan wore a perturbed frown, having busied himself with something on his console.  
  
He knew Tuvok wouldn’t have left her if he could have helped it. With the same information he might have tried the same tactic as Chakotay. That didn’t stop him from feeling some small resentment for the man, though. He also knew that had he remained in sickbay, Tuvok would have taken Voyager through the rift, before it began to degrade, as ordered.  
  
Chakotay made a mental note to thank the Doctor for his expedient treatment. Of course, he’d rushed out despite the hologram’s wish to keep him for observation. Perhaps the Doctor wouldn’t be so angry, given the circumstances?  
  
As he paced back toward the command chairs he paused to check the readout on the console there. Eight minutes and thirty four seconds had passed since she’d headed out. He glanced anxiously up to Harry who frowned and shook his head.  
  
“Come on, Kathryn,” he whispered.  
  
His eyes fixed on the view screen as though he might be able to see her in the planet’s image. He wasn’t even certain the viewscreen showed the correct hemisphere.  
  
The rift would begin to destabilise any minute now and once that happened it could send them anywhere or it could crush Voyager en route. The latter was highly unlikely unless the rift was about to disperse. Harry’s calculations would hardly be one hundred percent accurate, so ideally they needed to enter the rift before it began to destabilise.  
  
_Ideally_ Kathryn wouldn’t have been stuck on the planet in the first place. What was done was done however and if Chakotay were completely honest with himself he could have stopped her. There had been a whisper in the back of his mind that told him she was right – and she was. He just hoped she was right _and_ that she’d be able to enjoy the benefit of her great risk. As long as the building remained stable for the next minute or so, she had a chance of achieving that wish.  
  
They still had no idea what had caused the explosion in the building. Something triggered by age, Chakotay suspected. The building probably should have crumbled to dust long ago, the fact that it hadn’t, showed just how remarkable the technology and architecture employed by the Adanu was. He _almost_ regretted that he hadn’t been able to research their culture further.  
  
His eyes flicked to the console again, nine minutes.  
  
A lump formed in his throat and he sent out a silent prayer to the universe to let things work out, to let her make it. She was now on borrowed time now.

***=/\=***

Agony didn’t begin to describe Kathryn’s pain, as she moved back through the halls. Her face beaded with a feverish sweat and her body began to shake in protest to physical exertion.  
  
She hadn’t bothered to scan herself with the medical tricorder. Initially there had been no point; she’d assumed that she wouldn’t need to move again. Then when Voyager hailed and she’d had no time. Now she was beginning to regret that decision. An intense stabbing pain in her left side told her that she’d missed something vitally important.  
  
But she pressed on. She pushed herself as fast as her one and a half legs would allow, pulling herself along by sheer will alone.  
  
_Voyager had to make it_ , she told herself repeatedly. She allowed herself to see the moment Naomi met her father for the first time. K’Tarians were gruff on the outside, but she just knew he’d melt at the sight of his beautiful little girl. Naomi had grown so much aboard Voyager. She’d go to the academy in a few years and, though she said she wanted to go into command, her academic proclivities certainly seemed to indicate an interest in science and medicine. The Doctor constantly praised her attention to detail and thirst for knowledge. Kathryn couldn’t wait to see what she made of herself.  
  
She pulled herself forward using the strength of her uninjured leg. Undoubtedly she would be quite a sight right now, dragging one foot, something like a zombie in one of Paris’s ridiculous twentieth century films.  
  
She imagined seeing Harry with his parents. That image had been a driving force behind her for a long time. Not the only driving force, but Harry had been so home sick in their first months and it had broken Kathryn’s heart to see him that way. Now, seven years later, he’d grown into one of the finest officers she’d ever had the pleasure of serving with. His career would skyrocket once Voyager returned home.  
  
Her leg caught on a small piece of rubble that she hadn’t noticed. She stumbled forward, catching herself on the wall with her good arm. The movement sent a jolting pain through her body and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from crying out in pain.  
  
After taking a moment to collect herself, she pressed on, though the shooting pain in her leg had intensified to the point where she’d begun to weep involuntarily. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on something else, anything else.  
  
Tom’s reunion with his father would be incredible. She knew Admiral Paris would be so proud of his son, even despite his past indiscretion. Tom had earned the trust she’d placed in him as surely as he’d earned Kathryn’s respect.  
  
To see B’Elanna and Tom have a chance at family life in the Alpha Quadrant would be incredible. B’Elanna’s accomplishments, and for that matter, Tom’s, would allow them to name a career. She had no doubt that they would be brilliant in whichever fields they ended up choosing. She suspected Starfleet would be after them both, considering some of the breakthroughs they’d made in warp mechanics, engineering and shuttle design.  
  
Kathryn stumbled again as a rumble ran through the stone underneath her. She could hear the clattering of stone on stone above as large chunks of rubble came loose. The building didn’t have much time left, she suspected.  
  
Ignoring the sounds she continued on, pushing through the pain as she imagined Tuvok with his family. His reunion with T’Pel and his children would be beautiful and sweet, Kathryn was certain of that. He would meet his grandchild for the first time and, ‘emotions’ or not, she knew he’d fall in love.  
  
Her pace began to fall, but she had to be close now. She limped on, shining her light down the corridor and grunted in exhaustion when she saw that there were no rooms off the end.  
  
Her desire to see Seven and Icheb grow on Earth helped her push on. She wanted to help Seven flourish within the Federation. She wanted to see Icheb apply to the academy and make friends with other cadets. She truly believed if given the opportunity, they’d both thrive in the Alpha Quadrant.  
  
The Doctor would _certainly_ thrive in the Alpha Quadrant. If her recent talks over Pathfinder were anything to go by, he would be widely sought out from both doctors and engineers for his programming breakthrough and the numerous medical advances he’d made. He’d get all of the attention he so desperately desired – probably to the point where he’d get sick of it.  
  
Kathryn made it to the corner of a ‘t’ intersection and needed to lean against a wall. She wasn’t going to last much longer – if this room wasn’t close…  
  
Her head was swimming as the pain threatened to overwhelm her. She wasn’t sure she could stand anymore, let alone move.  
  
But she had to make it for Chakotay. Pushing off the wall she dragged herself forward, thinking of his incredible, dimpled smile. She fought the fire shooting up her leg, ignoring the pain at the thought of his encouragement through the years. He’d believed in her from the beginning and helped her to believe in herself. He’d been the most loyal and incredible friend she’d ever had. He had been her guiding post, her respite and her home.  
  
If she made it back in time, if Voyager made it through the rift – she relished the idea of being able to tell him how she truly felt. Even if he no longer felt the same, he deserved to know.  
  
She shone her light up ahead, spirits lifting dramatically as the beam fell on the room no more than ten meters ahead. Her body seemed to gain energy and she found her legs moving faster, even the pain dulled under her rush. Moving inside, she headed to basically the exact spot Chakotay had beamed from and slapped her comm badge. “Janeway – to Voyager, I’m – here,” she said weakly.  
  
“Chakotay here, beam the Captain to sickbay,” her first officer stated.  
  
“Belay that!” She snapped urgently. “Beam me to the bridge.” If they were getting home today she wouldn’t miss it for the world.  
  
Chakotay seemingly had no time to argue and she found herself in the centre of the bridge, standing next to him.  
  
“Now, Tom!” Chakotay snapped.  
  
Once Voyager was en route to the entrance of the rift the bridge crew, Chakotay took the time to look at her. His horrified expression said a great deal, though he declined to comment. Thankfully, though, he did help her to her seat, all the while a worried frown creasing his brow.  
  
Sitting down wasn’t easy, but gravimetric waves in the rift would cause significant turbulence, standing would be impossible in her condition. She could hardly fold her leg and ended up sticking the damn thing out, rather than force herself to sit in a position that caused too much pain.  
  
Voyager entered the rift as Harry’s console began to beep. The rift had begun to destabilise. She glanced back, wincing in pain. Had the beeping started before or after entry? If they’d entered before, even by a fraction of a second there was still a good chance this rift would see them exit at their intended destination.  
  
Harry glanced up and shook his head, unsure of the answer. There was nothing for it but to press forward.  
  
Voyager began to shake rather violently and Kathryn had to clutch her chair in order to remain seated. She watched Chakotay attempt to help, but her injuries were all on her left and he seemed hesitant to hurt her further. She gritted her teeth through the turbulence. Funny enough, today, she’d been through worse.  
  
When Voyager breached the other side, Kathryn couldn’t help but stand, Chakotay making the same move almost immediately, moving to her side where he always said he’d stay. She’d targeted the rift to set them just outside the Sol system, not wanting to cause a panic as a spatial distortion appeared in Earth’s orbit. The screen was blank, though, they could be anywhere.  
  
She glanced back to Harry. “Where are we?”  
  
He seemed to take an eternity as he triangulated their coordinates. She felt her heart pounding against her ribcage as she waited with an eager trepidation for the results – and then he smiled.  
  
“You did it, Captain,” he breathed. He tapped a command on his console, changing the image on the viewscreen.  
  
A blue and green orb appeared, the most beautiful Kathryn had ever seen. She marvelled at the sight of Earth, tears stinging her eyes. “ _We_ did it,” she corrected.  
  
Harry cleared his throat, obviously feeling as emotional as she did. “We’re being hailed, Captain.”  
  
Kathryn gave a light nod. Her injuries were fast becoming too painful to ignore, but she wouldn’t miss this opportunity to be welcomed home. “On screen.”  
  
The completely shocked faces of Admiral Paris and Reginald Barkley appeared on the screen. She didn’t miss Owen’s eyes flick down to his son; that sight _alone_ was worth the pain she’d gone through.  
  
“I’m sorry – to just barge in like this,” she commented.  
  
Admiral Paris stammered for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words, before finally his face broke into a wonderful grin. “Welcome home!”  
  
Kathryn felt a little feint, but shook it off. “Thank you, Admiral,” she managed. Her voice had become weak now. “I think I’ll leave you – in the capable hands of my commander,” she added. “I need to go to sickbay.”  
  
She didn’t hear him respond, if he did. The only thing she heard was Chakotay call her name, his arms enveloped her, seconds before the transporter beam and then darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this would have been out yesterday, but I had to re-write everything because I'm a garbage writer and it was terrible. No, seriously. 
> 
> Hopefully this time I'm smort enough to add all the full stops?
> 
> Thanks again for kudos and comments, you make my day!

Kathryn floated toward consciousness becoming aware, at first, of the light hum of medical instruments nearby. A cold sensation on her neck told her that she’d just been given a hypospray. She must be in sickbay.  
  
She grasped in her mind for what had put her here, bringing forth nothing but a bewildering fog of strange and out of context images. It didn’t take long for them to start coalescing into something more coherent, but her confusion was still present.  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and found the Doctor standing over her, assessing her with a medical tricorder to her left. To her right Chakotay beamed a beautiful, warm and welcoming smile, which she returned woozily.  
  
The trickle of memory allowed through some important details: she’d been in a building, the building was damaged and she’d been in a rush to get – somewhere. She’d made it, she knew that much, but she’d been injured along the way.  
  
She blinked as she focussed. A rift of some kind and then – she was on the bridge – she was talking to Admiral Paris. “We’re home,” she realised aloud.  
  
Chakotay’s expression bloomed, dimples lighting his features, paling his previous smile by comparison. “You did it,” he responded lightly.  
  
_Hardly_ , she thought to herself. The crew had done it. Without them, Kathryn would have given in long ago, they were her driving force, her sanctuary and salvation and they had bolstered her along her path. Their determination and hard work had paid dividends and _that_ had brought Voyager home.  
  
Before she could say as much the Doctor interrupted. She’d _almost_ forgotten that he was there. “How are you feeling, Captain?”  
  
She made a quick assessment of her body. The calf of her left leg burned, though she suspected that might be due to new skin growth. Her left arm ached as though the Doctor had used the osteogenic stimulator on the area. That was one sensation she would never get used to. Finally her side pulsed with a dull, but very noticeable, pain. “Like a building fell on me,” she joked.  
  
The Doctor didn’t appear amused, no doubt desiring to lecture her on away team procedure and taking better care of herself. Chakotay, however, wore a mix of amusement tinged with concern.  
  
The hologram touched another hypospray to her neck, causing a chill to pass through her limbs. The pain dulled a little, though her side still ached.  
  
“How long was I out?” she asked.  
  
Chakotay exchanged a frown with the Doctor. “Three days,” the hologram responded.  
  
“Three days!” She exclaimed. There was so much work to do. She made a move to sit up, but both Chakotay and the Doctor placed their hands over her shoulders, easing her gently back to the bio-bed.  
  
“And you _still_ need to rest,” the Doctor commanded. “You’ve had two major surgeries in that time.”  
  
“But I need to talk to Starfleet, I need to make sure –”  
  
“We have plenty of time for all of that, now,” Chakotay interrupted her in a soothing tone.  
  
The Doctor flicked his tricorder shut and nodded to them both. “I’ll go and inform Starfleet that you’re awake.” He began to head toward his office. “And I’ll have your family sent back up.”  
  
Kathryn’s eyes went wide at the mention of her family and she turned to Chakotay, seeking his reassurance this this was all actually happening. He gave another soft grin, the one he usually wore in her company carrying notes of affection and amusement.  
  
“Perhaps _now_ would be a good time to get some rest, Commander?” the Doctor added derisively from the doorway of his office. He entered and began to busy himself, leaving Kathryn curious about his comment.  
  
She gave Chakotay a questioning look. Just how long _had_ he been here, exactly?  
  
Seeming to sense her question his eyes fell to the carpet, a hand moving to tug his ear nervously. Eventually he met her gaze again and cleared his throat. “We – your injuries were bad,” he began to explain, fumbling a little. “There’s a quarantine on Voyager, the counsellors suggestion, to help the crew acclimatise to our return,” he seemed to be trying to gage her reaction, which at the moment was neutral as she waited for him to continue. “Your family are an exception.”  
  
She shook her head ever so slightly, to indicate that she hadn’t understood, causing Chakotay’s smile to fade faintly.  
  
“We – ah – we didn’t think you were going to make it,” he explained. His voice cracked as he spoke and his eyes dropped again. She could see that pain buried there, a pain she’d certainly have felt had their positions been reversed. Her unvoiced question from earlier seemingly had an answer: he’d been here the entire time.  
  
“Oh, Chakotay.” She placed a hand on his arm in a sympathetic gesture, though she wasn’t entirely too sure how comforting it was. His pain was easily as evident, as was his exhaustion.  
  
He moved his hand to cover hers, squeezing gently as though in thanks.  
  
She couldn’t stand to see him in pain. Not now, with their homecoming. This should be a joyous occasion. So she decided to try changing the subject. “Three days, hm? That means it’s Christmas.”  
  
He gave a light chuckle. “I guess it is.”  
  
“I’m going to spend Christmas with the people I love – albeit in _sickbay_.”  
  
Chakotay’s shoulders slumped a touch and he cleared his throat. “I – ah, your family should be here any minute now,” he commented, eyes flicking to the door. “I should let you do just that.”  
  
Kathryn’s throat constricted as she realised how he’d taken her statement. Before she knew what she was doing she’d sat up, her hand grasping for his.  
  
He halted mid-step, obviously surprised by the gesture.  
  
For the past few years she’d been waiting for this, waiting until they were home so she could tell him everything. The words weren’t difficult to form in her mind. Saying them aloud, however, countered as many years of hard-placed barriers, denial and repression. “ _All_ the people I love,” she managed in a whisper.  
  
Before she could speak further, go into what she really meant, before he could say a word, the doors hissed open.  
  
Their gazes lingered on one another for a heartbeat, her eyes trying desperately to convey exactly what she meant. Reluctantly their hands released and Kathryn turned her attention to the door.  
  
The sight of her mother and sister set Kathryn’s heart aflutter. She’d spent a great deal of time imagining this moment over the past seven years and realised now that her imagination couldn’t possibly have done the reunion justice.  
  
Her mother rushed forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. Despite her injuries the contact was warm and most welcome.  
  
“ _Oh, Katie. My beautiful Katie_ ,” she gushed, almost in tears.  
  
Though they’d talked over Pathfinder in recent months, Kathryn delighted in the delicate cadence of her mother’s voice, so much crisper and more beautiful in person. She would never tire of hearing her mother speak.  
  
“Mom, I’ve missed you so much,” Kathryn responded. She buried her face into her mother’s hair, recalling the thousands of times in her life she’d done so, before Voyager’s disappearance. The scent of her perfume almost as surreal as the touch of her hands across Kathryn’s shoulders.  
  
Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as they withdrew. Her eyes stung with tears and she felt almost infantile, trying to clutch to the warmth and relative safety of her mother’s embrace. She sobbed a laugh as they parted and placed a hand on her mother’s cheek. “I love you, Mom,” she blubbered.  
  
Her mother took her hand, kissing her palm delicately, before letting go to allow her sister to welcome her home.  
  
Phoebe dashed in, lunging at Kathryn, overbalancing her enough that Chakotay made a move to stop her from falling off the bio-bed – but her sister had her. “I know you probably won’t believe this, Katie, but I’ve missed you.”  
  
Kathryn let out a short laugh. “I’ve missed you too.”  
  
Phoebe scoffed into her hair, before pulling back. She had tears running down her cheeks, which she wiped away unabashedly with her sleeve. “You owe me a wedding present,” she sniffled.  
  
Kathryn laughed. “I’m sure I can scrounge something up.” She’d collected dozens of trinkets and odds and ends over the years as gifts for her family, should they ever make it back to Earth. She couldn’t wait to shower the pair of them with all of the wonderful keepsakes she’d found.  
  
“You better! I saved you a piece of the cake.”  
  
She frowned doubtfully.  
  
“She actually did,” her mother commented, rolling her eyes.  
  
Kathryn pulled Phoebe back into another, shorter and less dangerous hug. “I’m sure your wedding was beautiful.”  
  
As Kathryn let her sister go she noticed her eyes flick to Chakotay for the barest second. She hadn’t made any introductions!  
  
“Oh, Mom, Phoebe, this is Commander Chakotay,” she motioned toward him and half turned in his direction. “My mother Gretchen and sister Phoebe.”  
  
He grinned and gave a short, acknowledging nod.  
  
“We know, Katie, we met while you were…” Phoebe trailed off, eyes flicking to the floor.  
  
“Yes, your Commander has been a most gracious host,” her mother added in a seamless effort to keep the mood light.  
  
Kathryn gave him a small thankful smile. She shouldn’t have expected anything less, of course. He’d taken magnificent care of her over the years; her family should be no different.  
  
Their conversations lightened after that. They discussed everything from Phoebe’s wedding day to Gretchen’s new _cat_ , of all things, to Kathryn’s time on Voyager. Not once did they indicate that Chakotay’s presence was anything out of the ordinary, in fact they included him eagerly into their conversations, probing about what she wouldn’t tell them.  
  
He was warm and gracious and spent a rather long time discussing with her mother, her proclivity for getting into trouble. She spent most of that conversation rolling her eyes and countering their arguments with – well, not a lot, really.  
  
Hours passed before the Doctor approached to kick everyone out. To his credit he waited until relatively late, noting for their reference that it was twenty one hundred. Reluctantly her three guests exited, her mother and sister promising to return the next day.  
  
She wasn’t eager to bid any of them farewell, but the Doctor was rather insistent. She’d so hoped that she might be able to get Chakotay alone, just for a few minutes. Who knew when she’d be able to speak with him again?  
  
Her anxiety also spiked when her family departed. She had to remind herself that she would _indeed_ see them tomorrow.  
  
Once everyone departed the Doctor gave her another hypospray for the pain, dimmed the lights and deactivated himself, leaving her alone in the dark.

***=/\=***

Unfortunately for Kathryn she wasn’t tired. Oh, she was emotionally exhausted and she ached, but she was also charged, full of energy and excitement after seeing her family again. Stories of their lives here had invigorated her and set her imagination racing over the possibilities now open to her. She couldn’t wait to meet Phoebe’s family and see the work her mother had done to their old home.  
  
Possibly the most incredible thing about seeing her family again was just how much they’d changed. Phoebe was cheeky and annoying as ever, but having a family seemed to have freed her in a curious way. She was certainly happier than Kathryn had ever witnessed.  
  
Her mother seemed a touch less broken than she had, before Voyager’s disappearance. She’d had a tough time getting over her husband’s death, so had Kathryn of course, but Gretchen Janeway had withdrawn after the incident. Not in the same way Kathryn had. She’d become a little more detached, a little more isolated and she’d _hated_ that Kathryn remained with Starfleet. Oh, she never said as much, but there was always a tension in her eyes when Kathryn wore her Starfleet uniform or discussed her job. Now it seemed as though the light had returned, there had been no resentment at being aboard a starship or at seeing people in uniform.  
  
She honestly couldn’t wait to spend more time with them and learn about more how they’d grown and changed. She supposed she’d changed quite a lot as well. She was no longer the naïve new Captain on her first commander, nor the inquisitive scientist who had to know everything about everything. Those aspects of her were – still there, somewhere, but she’d hardened a lot in the Delta Quadrant. Hopefully her family would understand.  
  
She stared at the ceiling, trying to vainly to will herself to sleep. But twenty minutes passed and she couldn’t keep her mind quiet. Home or not, some things probably wouldn’t ever change.  
  
About to give in and attempt to sneak to the mess hall for a late snack, (coffee, she’d get coffee) the door hissed open.  
  
She sat up and smiled broadly as Chakotay entered, his handsome features illuminated by the nearby console. Her heart leapt in her chest. After so many years of him being by her side she’d thought her heart might have gotten used to his presence by now. Perhaps it never would. Which was fine by her.  
  
His visit shouldn’t have taken her by surprise. He’d probably been waiting until the Doctor deactivated himself. She was glad he’d come back, though. They had so much to talk about. She needed to tell him exactly what she’d meant before, leaving no room for misinterpretation and she certainly wanted to hear his thoughts and his feelings on the matter.  
  
He approached wordlessly, wearing one of the most incredible smiles she’d witnessed, dimples in full bloom, eyes soft and light and marvellous to behold.  
  
“I’m glad you’re here -” she began.  
  
But he gave her no time to talk. His arms wrapped around her, one hand slipping behind her neck, fingers running into her hairline as he pulled her into his warm embrace. Their lips met in the most passionate and delicate kiss she’d ever experienced. She melted in his arms relishing every moment of his gentle touch. His lips parted and gently his tongue found hers. His kiss was soft and supple, full of desire and love, making her weak at the knees – thankfully she wasn’t standing.  
  
When he pulled back he rested his forehead to hers, still holding her close as though afraid to release her. “I love you, Kathryn. I have for such a long time,” he whispered. His voice didn’t shake. He spoke with confidence and certainty. She didn’t doubt his words and never would again.  
  
She moved a hand to cup his cheek and drew back just a touch, to look into his wonderful, soulful eyes. “I love you, too.”


	10. Chapter 10

Kathryn’s next few days were exhaustingly full, leaving little time for Chakotay, or her family for that matter. Oh Starfleet ‘tried’ to allow her time with them, but when she wasn’t on the comm to Admiral Paris, Admiral Hayes needed a word, or Admiral Patterson requested an update on Voyager’s status or Admiral Branding wanted to go over research materials. She was in high demand by everyone over four pips.  
  
On the bright side she managed to finagle out some good deals for the crew. First and foremost, the Maquis would be pardoned. The Starfleet review board had been in session basically since Voyager’s arrival, discussing the idea and had come to a unanimous decision to pardon their charges as time served and offer them their commissions. They’d been hesitant about the last until Kathryn pointed out the achievements of many of their crew and what a boon that would be for Starfleet.  
  
Tom would also receive the same deal as the Maquis, much to his father’s delight.  
  
The Equinox crew weren’t so fortunate. While they would escape criminal charges for their actions in the Delta Quadrant, they were to be dishonourably discharged. Kathryn honestly wasn’t surprised by the outcome, though she did her best to fight for them.  
  
She’d also spent half a day negotiating for the Doctor’s rights, with regard to his relative autonomy and his holo emitter. Starfleet still considered him property, however agreed to take the emitter for study for no more than two months and to allow him the same freedoms they offered Data, when it came to choosing his postings. He would also be granted a commission as a full lieutenant.  
  
Starfleet were hungry to get their hands on Seven and Icheb and Kathryn spent a good few hours fighting, funny enough, for their rights as individuals. She refused to accept anything on their behalf, stating that Icheb had a desire to join the academy and had her full support if he did so and that Seven should have the freedom to decide what she wished to do for herself now. The only thing resolved in their regard was that they were to be given the same rights as every other member of Voyager’s crew, well, those made of flesh and blood at least.  
  
After two tiring days Kathryn was finally able to concentrate of preparing logs for what would undoubtedly be an arduous debriefing – in between celebrations, of course. A number of Admirals joined the crew aboard for a light gathering to welcome the crew home.  
  
There were a number of speeches, Kathryn tried to keep her own talk short, but she had a lot to say to her crew. She’d loved to have listed the individual achievements of those under her command, but there were only so many hours in a day. The commendations and note in their files would need to be enough, for now.  
  
The next day saw the lifting of the quarantine. Voyager’s crew were requested to remain aboard for the time being, but family members and friends were allowed to visit. To celebrate they decided to host another reception. This one a little more informal than the last, no speeches, no brass, except those related to members of the crew, just loved ones celebrating the ship’s return.  
  
They’d dressed the mess hall for the occasion. Tom and Harry had gone all out, creating a large welcome home banner. The tables and chairs had been moved to the sides of the room to allow for more people to fit in the area – though Kathryn had her doubts that they were going to squeeze everyone in the space. They’d also positioned Voyager so that Earth sat visible through the windows. The sight was something she wasn’t certain she’d ever get used to again. She’d forgotten how beautiful the planet could be.  
  
With the exception of her mother and Phoebe and Chakotay’s cousin, who’d already arrived and were waiting eagerly in the reception area, the rest of the crew lined the hallway outside transporter room one. Each waited eagerly for their family members to arrive so they could personally escort them to the mess hall.  
  
Kathryn wrung her hands nervously as they waited for the first group to appear.  
  
She couldn’t quite imagine what the reactions of these people might be. Some might hate her and they had the right to – she’d trapped their daughters and sons, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers light-years away. She’d lost crew, she’d taken seven years to get them home and those who’d survived had been fundamentally changed by the experience. Who _knew_ what they might think of her?  
  
Her nerves were obviously beginning to show. Chakotay placed a hand on her shoulder. “You have nothing to be worried about, Kathryn.”  
  
He was biased.  
  
Still, she gave him a warm and thankful smile, placing a hand atop his. However the crew’s families might react she would have Chakotay’s support and that was worth more than he would ever know.  
  
They wouldn’t be here without him. None of them would. She couldn’t imagine what life might have been like if she didn’t have him by her side in the Delta Quadrant. She shuddered to think what might have happened without him. One day she hoped to properly thank him for all he’d done, she just had to figure out how exactly she was supposed to do that.  
  
Voices drifted through the air alerting them to the presence of the first group of crew members.  
  
She drew a deep breath, releasing Chakotay’s hand and standing to attention.  
  
Harry entered first, accompanied by both of his parents. He was followed soon by Tuvok and T’Pel and the Delaney Sisters with their parents.  
  
Harry’s mother and father clung to him as though afraid to let him go. She wasn’t entirely surprised by their affection, obviously – until Harry’s mother released him and threw her arms around Kathryn.  
  
“You brought my son back – thank you,” she said simply. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears, his father appeared no better.  
  
Kathryn certainly hadn’t expected that. After becoming accustomed to the shock, she hugged back. “You’re most welcome, Harry’s one of the finest officers I’ve ever worked with.”  
  
The introductions proceeded, for the most part, about the same for the rest of the crew’s family. She was hugged by more mothers, fathers, siblings and children than she ever expected. Some, like Greskrendtregk, broke into tears, gushing about how happy he was to see his family, to finally meet his daughter.  
  
The party hadn’t even really started and Kathryn was already emotionally raw. She suspected that it might be months before she found any semblance of normality.  
  
In an effort to prevent herself from becoming a babbling wreck, she took up a spot in the corner and encouraged her mother and sister to meet the crew.  
  
She was content to watch the gathering, field questions where needed, but to allow her crew and their families to mingle. From her vantage she was pleased to see everything she’d hoped for in their return. Naomi and her father clung to one another as they discussed their lives.  
  
Tom and his father were reconnecting, they were even _laughing_ as they discussed the last few years of their lives.  
  
B’Elanna and _her_ father who had showed up unexpectedly, were introduced to her new extended family, all of whom appeared smitten.  
  
Seven made a real effort to talk to her Aunt, undeterred by the number of people in the room or the strange new social interaction. She also made an effort to include Icheb, who of course had no immediate family on Earth.  
  
“This was all you, Kathryn,” Chakotay spoke from beside her. She hadn’t even heard him approach. She was ready to tell him to continue mingling, but they’d barely spoken since he’d left sickbay a few nights ago, thanks to her new hellish schedule.  
  
“Oh, no, this is thanks to them. We’d never have made it past the first sector without their dedication and their loyalty,” she turned slightly to consider him and gave a fond smile. “ _Your_ dedication and loyalty.”  
  
Chakotay grinned, eyes falling to the carpet for a breath before returning to hers. “None of them –” he began before shaking his head. “None of _us_ thought that energy burst was anything more than background radiation. None of us risked our lives to investigate it.” She raised her hand in protest, but he cut her off before she could speak. “No, I risked my life to keep _you_ alive,” he countered her thought with ease leaving her to once again wonder if he wasn’t just a little telepathic.  
  
Now was Kathryn’s turn to avert her gaze.  
  
“You did this, Kathryn. You’re the hero of this story.”  
  
She wasn’t so certain. Selfish motivations hardly made for an inspirational tale.  
  
They stood in silent contemplation of the room for a time. Kathryn had no idea where Chakotay’s thoughts might be wondering, all _she_ could think about was their future. As soon as debriefings were over and done with, the possibilities were endless.  
  
She couldn’t help but wonder what everyone might make of themselves. Would Tom and B’Elanna remain in Starfleet? She could see them working in starship or shuttle design, Harry too. They’d make one _hell_ of a team. Perhaps they’d even be able to perfect slipstream or transwarp travel.  
  
Tuvok would probably take time off, she suspected. After a few years he may return again and go back to teaching. She couldn’t imagine him taking another posting, at least not without T’Pel by his side. Vulcan or not he’d missed her terribly.  
  
Seven would support Icheb through the Academy, though Kathryn suspected that, after the young man found his footing, she’d leave Earth. She might move to a smaller colony or perhaps she’d move to Vulcan. She might even take a civilian science posting somewhere.  
  
The Doctor would adore his newfound commission and work diligently to increase in rank. Kathryn wouldn’t be surprised if he made Captain one day.  
  
Whatever choices they made, though, she couldn’t _wait_ to experience them.  
  
She couldn’t wait to see relationships bloom among the rest of the crew. Now that they were home they were likely to see new families formed and old ones repaired.  
  
“Marry me,” Chakotay’s words didn’t quite register with Kathryn until she noticed Ensign Simon Donoghue and Crewman Jenny Delaney glance in their direction, dumbfounded. He hadn’t been speaking in a particularly high volume, but the room was so full it didn’t take a lot to be overheard.  
  
“What?” she gasped.  
  
He turned toward her and took her hand. “We’re home, we’re free. The Maquis have been pardoned and – I – I honestly can’t imagine spending a day without you. Marry me,” he seemed completely unfazed by the large audience they’d spontaneously gathered. The large audience which seemed to be growing larger by the second as people passed their conversation on.  
  
The room around them fell silent before Chakotay’s words finally began to sink in. The prospect of not seeing him every day was daunting, to say the least. They’d become so much a part of each other’s lives over the past seven years. He’d always been just down the hall, ready to indulge her in some ridiculous late night chat or he visited her for breakfast, lunch or dinner to remind her to eat.  
  
The simple truth was that she loved him and after seven years with him by her side she knew there was no one else she’d rather be with. Excepting physical intimacy, they’d effectively been dating most of that time.  
  
He’d been her lifeline on some of her worst days and though they’d had their differences they’d never wavered from each other long. Where one fell, the other soared creating a perfect counterbalance, of sorts. In essence, they seemed to have been made for one another.  
  
She found herself nodding, which caused a stir among the crowd. Chakotay’s expression lit with yet another exquisite smile and Kathryn found herself grinning along. She couldn’t leave it there. She knew how much he’d want to hear her say the words.  
  
“Yes,” she found her voice. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”  
  
Someone in their rather large audience whistled obnoxiously, probably Tom, which led those gathered to begin cheering.  
  
Kathryn blushed furiously at the attention, but embarrassed or not she couldn’t stop smiling. Neither, apparently could Chakotay.  
  
Their eyes didn’t leave one another and she found herself imagining their future; a nice house, with a family and a dog. Chakotay had never owned a dog, but had always seemed fascinated by the idea. She wondered whether he’d choose to remain in Starfleet. He too may go back to teaching and she would find something a little less active – she owed herself that much. Voyager had been an adventure, but she wasn’t eager to take another posting any time soon.  
  
Their revelry was cut short by a strange cry among the crowd. Both she and Chakotay glanced around urgently, tracking the sound of the noise.  
  
“Not now, kid!” someone growled. B’Elanna, it was B’Elanna.  
  
The gathering parted, muttering their concern and Kathryn dashed forward, followed closely by Chakotay, to see B’Elanna leaning on her panic stricken husband, clutching her swollen belly. Evidently, she was in labour.  
  
The Doctor approached, medical tricorder in hand, flipping it open, he began to scan the lieutenant with an air of nonchalance. “It would appear your daughter would like to be born on Voyager,” he quipped. “No time like the present, I guess.”  
  
This earned him a rather sharp glare from the half-Klingon, though he seemed not to notice.  
  
“We need to get her to sickbay!” Tom almost shouted as B’Elanna cried out in pain again.  
  
“And rather soon,” the Doctor added.  
  
“ _Great idea!_ ” she snarled.  
  
Nearby, Harry managed to escape his mother’s grasp and dash to the console on the side of the room. With lightning speed he rerouted transporter control and sent B’Elanna, the Doctor and Tom to sickbay.  
  
“Quite the exciting homecoming, Katie,” Admiral Paris spoke from nearby. “Any other surprises?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the epilogue left!
> 
> Thank you all again for the comments and kudos! I'm so glad you're enjoying this, or at least pretending to.


	11. Chapter 11

358 days later

“No, no, no! Miral! Stop!” Tom’s exhaustion was as evident as Miral’s exuberant nature, the two clashing quite marvellously. The pair had _easily_ made the eve of the crew’s homecoming anniversary as exciting and entertaining as anything else that had happened today.  
  
Ok, that wasn’t true, but it would certainly be remembered as one of the highlights.  
  
Kathryn’s eyes followed the young girl as she darted through the room away from her father. Everyone, B’Elanna included, laughed as Tom lunged to grab his errant daughter from behind the Delaney sisters, missing by a good two feet.  
  
A number of people made their own attempts to snatch her up, all meeting the same success Tom was having.  
  
Klingon children, it appeared, were spry, Miral Paris no exception. They were also small, which allowed her to pass beneath the table where Seven, Icheb, Naomi and her family were seated. The group watched with great interest as the small toddler darted out, dashing at remarkable speed toward the bridal party’s table.  
  
Chakotay had already moved, scooping her up before she managed to reach the cake which sat as centrepiece on the largest of the tables. She made a futile effort to reach for it grunting in frustration when he moved away.  
  
“You remind of your father,” he remarked to the little girl. She responded by poking him in the cheek curiously.  
  
“Ah, thank you, Captain,” Tom huffed as he approached. “And sorry,” he turned to the room and repeated louder, “ _sorry_.”  
  
Chakotay smirked in amusement as he handed the young lady over.  
  
“Cake!” Miral exclaimed in a shriek, causing both men to cringe.  
  
Chakotay made his way back to his position, eyes fixing with Kathryn as he moved. His lips curved in a cheeky grin; obviously he enjoyed the entertainment as much as she did.  
  
“Soon, Miral, soon,” Tom whispered as he returned to his seat. Miral writhed to break free the entire way, causing the young man a great deal of difficulty.  
  
The moment the pair were re-seated Tuvok cleared his throat and picked his Champaign glass back off the table.  
  
“As we have all witnessed, since our homecoming,” he resumed his speech as though there had been no interruption at all. “Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay sacrificed much for Voyager’s continued survival and eventual return to the Alpha Quadrant. Their willingness to do so is not only a testament of their commitment to our crew, but of their strength and determination as leaders.  
  
“Today we thank them for their sacrifice, but we honour their strength, their commitment and their determination, not to Voyager, but to one another, as they enter a new stage in their lives.  
  
He turned toward them and raised his glass, a move mirrored by the rest of the room. “To Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay, may your journey be as adventurous as Voyager’s. May you know a bond like that of our crew and may your home always be devoid of leola root.”  
  
Those gathered, Kathryn and Chakotay included, laughed at the Vulcan’s magnificent joke. His brow quirked and he waited patiently for the room to fall silent again.  
  
“Live long and prosper,” he finished by spreading his fingers in a Vulcan salute.  
  
“Live long and prosper!” the room echoed the toast, sipping their drinks.  
  
Kathryn met her new husband’s eye as they touched their glasses together. The warmth in his smile caused her heart to skip a beat, once again.  
  
“I love you,” she whispered below the noise of the toast.  
  
“I love you, too,” he responded just as softly.  
  
Kathryn was certain she’d never tire of hearing him say those words. He didn’t need to say them, of course. She could see his affection for her in everything he did, every small gesture. Honestly, she couldn’t believe she’d ever doubted his feelings.  
  
He’d made every day since their return wonderful, relaxing and – rather pleasurable. Chakotay had been as amazing a fiancé as he had been first officer and she had no doubt he would be an incredible husband – and hopefully one day an incredible father.  
  
She never realised just how much she’d wanted to be in a relationship with Chakotay until she had been presented with the chance. A part of her regretted not pursuing the opportunity to be with him longer, while they’d been in the Delta Quadrant.  
  
The pragmatist in her _knew_ , though, that a relationship out there never would have worked. They’d needed to focus on Voyager, on the crew and on getting home. Despite the fact that they’d been in love, out there, the strain of command likely would have seen an end to their affections and may have even damaged their friendship beyond repair.  
  
So the dream of this moment had been a huge incentive for Kathryn to get Voyager home, an incentive that had kept her sharp and focussed for years. Another part of the reason she knew they couldn’t take this step in the Delta Quadrant. Oh, she never feared that she’d become complacent in a relationship with Chakotay; the entire quadrant had been out to kill them – or so it seemed some days. Perhaps, though, she wouldn’t have pushed so hard. Perhaps she’d have listened when the crew had argued that the signal she’d detected was ambient radiation. The entire affair was open to conjecture of course; she could just have easily become more determined and perhaps Voyager might have been home sooner.  
  
What she did know was that she and Chakotay fit together very well. Their interests were similar enough that they never ran out of topics to talk about. Their deep understanding of one another as Captain and Commander had made them intimately aware of the other’s moods, their thoughts and feelings. Kathryn didn’t really believe in fate or destiny, but if she did she might believe the universe had drawn them together.  
  
Now, against all odds, here they sat, returned from the Delta Quadrant and newly married.  
  
She saw in him their future, children with honey gold skin and brilliant dimples, insatiably curious about the world around them. They would join Starfleet, having adventures of their own while Kathryn and Chakotay enjoyed a quiet life on Earth, or perhaps on Trebus.  
  
They had so much to look forward to and now they could take their time to explore their love slowly and completely. No more life and death, no more Captain and Commander, just Chakotay and Kathryn.  
  
“Alright, let’s cut this cake before Miral starts a riot,” Kathryn suggested once the noise died down.  
  
It was the best damn cake in the quadrant.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, the epilogue isn't nearly as long as I thought it might be.
> 
> This story is (basically) what I would have loved to see in the final episode of Voyager, rather than a poor knock-off of one of the best season 5 episodes (as we got).  
> Obviously if I had been writing this as an episode I'd have added a B-Plot on Voyager with the crew attempting to figure out a way to get the command crew off the planet.  
> I think we were ripped off, plot-wise with Endgame (among other things). To me that episode feels very half-arsed which is why I wanted to write a return home story with something a bit different. I could rant at you for hours about how much I hate Endgame and everything that's wrong with that episode, instead I wrote this story, which is now my headcanon for how Voyager returned home.
> 
> I do hope you enjoy this more than Endgame.


End file.
